Education minister in favor of banning cell phones after elementary school

Saxony's Minister of Education Conrad Clemens (CDU) can also imagine a ban on private cell phones in grades 5 to 8. "We will now continue to discuss how this could be implemented," he said after a symposium on media education in Dresden. The meeting clearly showed: "We need fewer private cell phones and more media literacy."

Media pass planned for pupils in grades 5 to 8

For elementary school in Saxony, the use of private devices is already prohibited from the coming school semester, with a few medical and educational exceptions. The aim is now to introduce a media passport for grades 5 to 8 to enable pupils to deal with topics such as disinformation, social media and online games in an age-appropriate manner. Schools will also receive suitable digital teaching modules and accompanying materials.

Media education right from the start

Saxony also wants to teach media education from the first year of school and provide schools with a framework for orientation. "Digital media shape young people's everyday lives - both at school and in their free time," emphasized Clemens. It is therefore important to strengthen the acquisition of knowledge about these media and at the same time promote a reflected and healthy use of media.