The Ministry of Education (MOE) would consider civic groups’ growing concerns about cellphone usage in schools, and promote any legislation passed by the Legislative Yuan, Deputy Minister of Education Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) said yesterday.
The Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee yesterday held a hearing on the issue of mobile phone addiction among students.
At the meeting, teachers groups advocated for the Ministry of Education to establish unified regulations for all schools, while student groups pushed for clear cellphone usage guidelines that do not result in confiscating devices.
Photo: CNA
Although schools have implemented some rules around students’ use of phones in school, many students do not fully comply, or keep a hidden second phone, Kaohsiung Teachers’ Union deputy director Lee Ya-wen (李雅文) said.
She recommended that the ministry provide explicit guidelines and draft policies to either ban the use of phones for students at the high-school level and below or implement schoolwide management systems.
Asia University vice president and professor of psychology Ko Hui-chen (柯慧貞) said that excessive screen time can lead to shorter attention spans, which in the long term can impact cognitive functions and potentially lead to issues with emotions, behavior and sleep.
EdYouth cofounder Lee Ruei-lin (李瑞霖), a political science student at National Taiwan University, said that students do not oppose consistent guidelines and uniformity across schools, but unilateral restrictions on phone use would cause resentment among students who are digitally savvy and accustomed to the fast pace of modern society.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) cited a UNESCO report from July last year, which said that while phones can aid learning, they frequently are a source of distraction.
Fan cited how several European countries, such as Sweden, Germany, France and Belgium, are moving to restrict phone usage in schools, especially for younger students, .
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) said that phone addiction is a societal issue that requires cooperation between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Chang said that based on the public’s feedback showing a preference for regulations, the Ministry of Education would conduct a policy review and support new legislation if passed.
The Action Alliance on Basic Education also called for government regulations to help teachers and parents reduce students’ screen time, and prevent damage to children’s development.
Alliance chairman Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) in a statement said that young Taiwanese are facing a severe mental health crisis, citing international research that shows technology addiction and excessive screen time can negatively impact anxiety, depression, attention spans and sleep patterns.
Wang recommended that the relevant ministries work together to develop guidelines based on international experts’ recommendations: Preschool-aged children should avoid cellphones altogether, elementary-school students should be limited to one hour of phone usage a day and middle-school students limited to two hours of usage a day, with no screen time before bed.
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