Cell phones in backpacks instead of in hands: For many students in Saxony, stricter rules regarding the personal use of smartphones will take effect with the start of the new school year on Monday. At secondary schools and high schools, students in grades 1 through 8 must generally keep their devices stowed away during the school day, said Saxony’s Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Conrad Clemens (CDU), on the podcast “Thema in Sachsen” produced by the “Sächsische Zeitung” and “Leipziger Volkszeitung.”
No Cell Phones—Digital Learning Remains
However, less personal cell phone use should not mean less digital education. According to Clemens, Saxony has prepared a “media passport” for the new school year. Among other things, children and teenagers are to use it to learn how to handle social media, online games, and misinformation.
Artificial intelligence is also set to play a role in the classroom. Students will need to learn, for example, to question answers from ChatGPT and compare them with their own knowledge, Clemens said. In addition, 15 hours of supervised digital self-study are planned for grades 7 and 8.
The education union GEW takes a nuanced view of the new cell phone rules. Many teachers generally welcomed stricter limits on smartphone use in everyday school life, state chapter head Burkhard Naumann told the podcast. However, practical implementation is crucial. “What must not happen is for teachers to essentially become police officers.”
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