Andalusia and Catalonia do not want the mobile in the classroom or to learn

The debate on the use of mobiles in the classroom has been fueled in recent years following the growing concern of families for the abusive use of these devices and their alleged harm in academic performance. While Pisa The positive effect of using them in a moderate way, the Spanish data protection agency (AEPD) It has ruled out bluntly advocating its use as a more effective formula to protect the privacy of students.

After the manifesto of families for the effects of early and abusive use of mobiles by students, the Ministry of Education, which directs Esther Niubóhas created a commission of experts (commission for responsible digitalization) that must evaluate in the coming months the impact that would have to eradicate it of all educational stages and evaluate “the restriction of screens in early childhood education.”

In this community and in the rest of the State, following the regulations of January 2024 promoted by the State School Board and validated by the Ministry of Education, the use of mobile phones is not allowed throughout the primary education stage, while in ESO is authorized only if the teacher requires it for educational purposes.

Now, the Government’s approach is that it cannot be used even in these cases. The Catalan educational authorities also propose, remove the screens in the classroom until the age of six. As he advanced Norubóit is expected that the works of the commission will end “at the end of June” so that, in the face of the next course, a guide of good practices and recommendations for educational centers and professionals, and another for families.

«It is necessary to establish guidelines on the use of screens; That is why we intend to stop to think to act, to strike a balance Among the necessary digital literacy – the need to know how to identify a ‘fake new’– and guarantee its responsible use, ”said the counselor when she launched her proposal. In his opinion, with this new commission “there is one more step” in the regulation that there was already so far, which exclusively affected mobile phones, since now it extends to all screens and digital devices and resources in the classroom.

Galicia and Madrid, the two pioneer communities to limit the use of mobile phones in schools and institutes (in Galicia the regulations is from 2015 and in Madrid of 2020) have different opinions regarding the Catalan proposal of maximums. In Galicia, in 2015 its use in educational facilities in Lectiv scheduleeitherand in 2022 the restriction was extended and also vetoed in the recesses. Despite being a pioneers in taking out the mobiles from the classrooms, the Galician authorities do not consider, for the moment, to give a passing beyond Catalonia or Andalusia and prohibit them even when the educational project justifies it, reports Noela Vázquez.

«The prohibition, which appears in our 2015 coexistence decree, was scheduled for the use of mobiles during teaching activities. The free use of a student of an electronic device, be it mobile, a tablet or even a computer, within what is an hour of class, obviously distorts, ”he says in statements to ABC Judith FernándezGeneral Director of Educational Planning and Innovation, under the Ministry of Education, Science, Universities and Professional Training.

«Then, – he adds -, we made a couple of courses, we launched the ”Coexistence strategy 2025 ‘ And we collected there to take another step, which was the prohibition or restriction of use, rather, in all inputs, outputs and recreations «. According to Fernández, the reason for the restriction was coexistence. He explains that the experience of centers that have already vetoed mobiles in recess shows that “without them there is other types of interactions between children, many conflicts disappear. And of course, that in the end results in the student’s well -being ».

«Isolated students with their heads on the mobile»

«I am an education inspector and I have visited many educational centers. And in the last 6, 7, 8 years, we saw a abusive use On the part of the students, especially in high school, in times of recreation. Moments when the kid is supposed to disconnect from the class, talk to his teammates, play. What we saw were students sitting in corners, isolated, with their heads in their phone, in their personal device and without interacting with others, ”explains Fernández.

From the Galician Ministry, they defend, however, the pedagogical use of the ‘smartphones’. «The type of device used in each subject is defined by the teacher, is a method of methodology. In Galicia we have a high Teaching Digitization. This is not incongruous with the fact of restricting mobile use. We defend that the use of any device or technological tool must be supervised by a teacher. The smartphone is not a disruptive element if there is a teacher behind, if there is a control and an order in the classroom, “says Judith Fernández.

Regarding the Catalan proposal, Cauta is shown. «I do not know the specific proposal but we can refer, to the best, to the report that the Ministry has recently published, which is a bit in the line of Dennset or demonize The use of technology. The use has to be balanced, supervised by a teacher and progressive with the ages, ”says Fernández. »What is the phone itself, as a work tool, as a pedagogical resource, has many possibilities. The problem is what it is used for, “he points out.

Pioneers to veto it

The Community of Madridtogether with Galicia, one of those who took the first steps to veto the mobiles in the classrooms, finalizes a decree to “further limit the use of digital devices (computers, tablets or similar) individually in educational centers (childish, Primary and secondary) sustained with public funds ».

Sources of the Ministry of Education, Science and Universities From Madrid consulted by ABC, they remember that from the 2020-2021 course «the Decree of Coexistence of Centers includes that the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices will not be allowed to students in the teaching centers during the school day, the recreation time, the time of recreation time and the periods dedicated to the development of complementary and extracurricular activities ». According to the aforementioned regulations, even in force, «the centers, in the exercise of their autonomy, may allow their punctual use if it is expressly provided for in their educational project for specifically didactic purposes. Likewise, they can limit their use in other periods, activities and spaces of their competence ».

A recent study of the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), in which 1,200 minors and 30 institutes have participated, has further fueled the debate at the conclusion than prohibiting the mobile in the classroom does not improve the performance and attitude of the students. According to research, adolescents compensate for the veto with an excess of hours out of class, which impacts their mental health.