Bangkok schools curb mobile phone use as classes reopen
Outgoing Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited Wat Mahannapharam School, one of 437 schools under the BMA, in Phra Nakhon district, to observe the first day of classes, reports the
Bangkok schools began limiting mobile phone use on the first day of classes on May 19, as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration rolled out new rules across its system. The move, likely to draw attention beyond the capital, including in Phuket, was outlined by outgoing Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt during a visit to Wat Mahannapharam School in Phra Nakhon district, one of 437 schools under the BMA, the Bangkok Post reported.
Students are required to hand their phones to teachers during school hours. Officials said the measure is intended to improve concentration, strengthen classroom interaction and reduce health and behavioural problems linked to excessive screen time.
Pilot results and overseas policies cited by officials
Chadchart said several schools had already tested the approach and reported positive results. He added that studies from several countries supported restrictions on phone use in schools.
He pointed to South Korea, which passed a nationwide bill last August banning mobile phones in school classrooms. France passed a bill in January banning social media use by children under 15.
Officials also cited similar measures in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The push follows a National Economic and Social Development Council report issued earlier this year that identified excessive screen exposure as one of the leading causes of developmental delays among young children.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/bangkok-schools-limit-mobile-phone-use-100282.php
