The Ministry of Education today announced new draft guidelines for phone usage in schools, with stricter regulations for lower grades and flexibility for individual schools or classes to set their own rules.
A “centralized management” approach would be adopted for elementary and junior-high schools under the newly announced Guidelines for the Management of Students Bringing Mobile Devices to School Campuses of Senior High and Below (高級中等以下學校學生攜帶行動載具到校管理原).
School or individual classes would manage rules, but with details subject to approval by school boards, the guidelines state.
Photo: Taipei Times
As they remain minors, parents and guardians would still bear legal responsibility for their behavior and safety, they say.
If students need to bring mobile phones or other devices on campus, they must first obtain permission from a legal guardian, the rules state.
Regulations for high schools would have more flexibility, allowing students, parents and teachers to jointly decide on management methods, including when phones may be used on campus, although methods may not vary between classes.
High-school students are deemed to have “self-management abilities” and may bring devices on campus in accordance with school regulations, although schools are encouraged to inform parents of the rules.
The student group EdYouth in a recent statement said that device usage should only be managed during class hours to avoid over-regulation.
In response, the ministry today said that devices must be turned off or switched to airplane mode and stored away during class hours, except when used for educational purposes or emergency situations.
Current students are “digital natives” who have grown up with technology, which can be used to accelerate learning, it said.
However, there must be a balance to avoid over-reliance on personal devices, the harmful effects of social media and gaming addiction, the ministry added.
Additional reporting by Rachel Lin
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