File Photo:VCG

 
China’s education authorities have issued a notice prohibiting elementary and secondary school students from using phones in class, and asking teachers not to use mobile phones to assign homework, a move that has been praised by netizens.

In a notice published by the Ministry of Education on Monday, elementary and secondary school students are asked not to bring their cell phones onto the campus, except when it is approved by their parents along with a written application form.

Instead, establishing public telephones on campus and exploring the use of electronic student IDs with call functions are encouraged as a way to solve the needs of students and parents’ communication.

This is to protect students’ eyesight and allow them to concentrate on their studies, as well as preventing addiction to the internet and video games, according to the notice. 
 
Teachers are asked not to use mobile phones to assign homework for students as well.

This decision has been backed by many netizens in China.

“Approve! The environment of the internet is becoming an evil for teenagers who are easily swayed by its bad values. These protective measures are necessary,” said one netizen on Sina Weibo.

Some netizens also applauded the move to forbid teachers from using mobile phones to assign homework.

Lou, a 49-year-old father of a third-grade primary school student, said that teachers should not leave their own work to the parents since it’s the responsibility as well as the obligation of the teachers themselves.

In addition to the official statement, the ministry said parents need to be the life guide for their children and encourage them to develop hobbies such as reading, art and sports, and to consider carefully before equipping their children with mobile phones.

Use of mobile phones in school has become a problem around the world. 

In 2018, the French government asked students to leave smart devices at home before going to school, according to CNN.

A survey conducted by the London School of Economics in 2015 found out that the test score in four English cities increased by at least 6 percent when phones were banned, according to BBC News.

Global Times