Joli: ensure clear exceptions for the mobile phone ban.

Joli: ensure clear exceptions for the mobile phone ban.

Since January 1, 2024, a phone ban in the classroom applies at many schools. Parents support this massively: 87% think it is a good idea. But what does the ban mean for children who need a phone or tablet as an aid?

We talk about it with Joli Luijckx, director of Oudervereniging Balans.

More calm and less distraction

According to Joli, Balans hears many positive reactions to the ban. “Students talk to each other more again. That helps the atmosphere in the classroom. We also see less bullying when phones are gone.” Still, Balans also sees bottlenecks.

“Some children really need their phone”

There is a group of students who do not use a phone, tablet, or other device for social media but as an aid. Think of:

• children who have their school books read aloud;
• children who need digital planning help;
• students with motor problems for whom a paper agenda is difficult.

For these children, a phone is not a distraction but a way to participate. Joli explains: “We now hear that schools sometimes say: ‘it is simply not allowed.’ That causes children with support needs to be in trouble.”

Necessary exceptions

According to Joli, this part of the discussion is still too little known. Schools may simply make an exception for students who need an aid. This is not yet in the law, but it is the intention of the policy.

“It can never be the intention that a rule causes children to participate worse in education,” says Joli. But in practice this turns out difficult: not all schools know that exceptions are allowed or how to organize them.

The importance of the right conversation

Using an aid can be sensitive. No one wants to be ‘the exception’.
That is why Joli finds good communication at school very important:

• clearly explain why a student uses an aid;
• discuss this in the class so understanding arises;
• record it in the school policy so it is clear for everyone.

What if the phone must be in the locker?

More and more schools choose a ‘home or in the locker’ policy. Also 3 out of 4 parents see this as a good idea. Just like politics. But for children with support needs this can cause problems, tells Joli. “If the phone is in the locker, it is too far away. Quickly having a book read aloud then does not work. That makes learning more difficult.”

Alternatives, like software on a laptop, also exist. But these work less practical. Starting up a laptop takes time, apps are often simpler and faster on a phone, and the rest of the class can keep working while the student still has to start.

A call to schools

According to Joli, it is important that schools:

1. make room in the policy for necessary exceptions;
2. communicate clearly about when and why this can happen;
3. keep an eye on inclusion: students must be able to participate equally.

“Digital aids can make a world of difference for some children. It would be a shame if we make that harder by applying the policy too strictly.” Joli also finds: “Rules are good, but always look at what a child needs to participate. Ensure clear policy and the right conversation. Then the ban works for everyone.”