Proposed amendments would forbid the use of all personal electronic devices during school hours in high schools and below, starting from the next school year in August, the Ministry of Education said on Monday.
The Regulations on the Use of Mobile Devices at Educational Facilities up to High Schools (高級中等以下學校校園行動載具使用原則) state that mobile devices — defined as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches or other wearables — should be turned off at school.
The changes would stipulate that use of such devices during class is forbidden, and the devices should be handed to a teacher or the school for safekeeping.
Photo: Hung Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
The amendments also say that access to the devices should be flexible, such as contacting parents in case of emergencies.
Storage should consider the different types of electronic devices, with clear regulations on how they are to be stored, and the school would be responsible for keeping them safe, the amendments say.
The amendments seek to clarify how electronic devices are to be stored and a school’s responsibilities regarding storage, Department of Information and Technology Education official Tsai Yuan-lin (蔡宛霖) said.
The amendments also say that the storage of mobile devices should be flexible based on educational or individual needs.
National Federation of Education Unions president Liu Shuo-chieh (林碩杰) said that while high schools and vocational high schools should have different regulatory standards, punitive measures should be applied equally.
The ministry should provide funding for schools to purchase storage cases to minimize the risks, especially as they are now responsible for the devices, National Federation of Teachers’ Unions president Hou Chun-liang (侯俊良) said.
Tsai Chi-ye (蔡其瞱), president of student group EdYouth, said that the education ministry should place more emphasis on digital education and guiding students on how to correctly use mobile devices instead of issuing a general ban.
The education ministry should also provide psychiatric consultation for students regarding digital violence and nomophobia (the anxiety or fear of being parted from a mobile phone) to ensure that students’ digital education, as stated in the 2019 curriculum, is upheld, Tsai said.
Schools should also guarantee that student representatives comprise one-third of all attendees at school meetings to ensure students’ right to express their opinions, Tsai said.
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