The Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegría, has proposed to the autonomous communities joint regulations on the use of mobile devices in schools and institutes. The proposal for the debate that he wants to start in January with councilors and the State School Board is to ban it completely in primary and secondary schools. In the classroom, corridors and courtyards. The only exception in the case of ESO is if the educational center requires it for the pedagogical project or for some specific activity. The proposal does not include extracurricular classes at the moment.
This proposal affects the debate that Catalonia is raising about the use of the devices. The ministry announced yesterday that it will not ban it, but will publish a regulatory framework for schools and institutes that can be "adjusted to each center" and that will encourage debate between families, students and teachers.
According to ministry sources, the minister's proposal has been well received by the majority of education councillors. The use of mobile phones is already prohibited in four communities: Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León and Madrid.
Alegría wanted to promote the debate in view of the fact that "there is more and more concern in society about the use of mobile devices, especially during school hours". This schedule is only part of the time in students' lives, he pointed out, since 75% of mobile phone use takes place outside. That is why it seems important to involve families. The measure would not be contrary to the teaching of digital culture, which is more necessary than ever, as the councilors expressed.
The minister was not in favor of the ban, but, according to ministerial sources, in view of social anxiety, the latest international reports received and those of organizations such as Save the Children or Unicef, she is in favor of a total restriction.
"We will meet and discuss to find the possibility of giving a coordinated and joint response", he said.
Education powers are transferred to the autonomous communities. And, in addition, the educational centers have the autonomy of the center. However, the minister valued the experience of coordination that there was during the pandemic when, "out of respect for the competences", it was decided to return to attending classes earlier than other countries.
"We want to do the same, we want to sit down with the autonomous communities and the State School Board and make a proposal that we will submit to analysis and debate", he said.
The Minister of Education, Anna Simó, had planned to attend the conference, but it coincided with the Government control session in Parliament, so she was represented by the Secretary of Educational Transformation. On Tuesday, the School Council of Catalonia handed the councilor a synthesis document on the mobile phone debate in which it calls for regulation, not a ban. He defends restrictions on stages, time, spaces and ages, without mentioning the word prohibition.
"The ban is not a general consensus", pointed out the president of the Council, Jesús Vinyes, who indicated that, nevertheless, the document "gives clues" about the age limitation, with more restrictions in primary schools than in other stages
The ministry announced that it will draft instructions and framework criteria for schools to discuss with families.
