Read the text to learn more about the arguments against allowing pupils to use mobile phones at school. What do you think about it?

Dorota Giżyńska Ban the smartphones! No doubt about it.

In this modern day and age, smartphones have become an essentialessentialessential part of life. Most children today own one and they are extremely competentcompetentcompetent at using it. Although children are deeply attached to their smartphones, almost as if there was a kind of umbilical cordumbilical cordumbilical cord between them and their devices, the big question that is currently a hot debate is: “Should smartphones be bannedbannedbanned in schools?”

First, let's look at the growing argument that is in favour ofin favour of a total ban on phones in school. In the UK, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has recently said, “No parent wants to send their child to a school where poor behaviour is riferiferife. Mobile phones are not just distracting, but when misusedmisusedmisused or overusedoverusedoverused, they can have an  alarmingly damaging effect on a pupil's mental health and well‑beingwell‑beingwell‑being. I want to put an end toput an end to put an end to this, making the school day mobile‑free.” For some time now, mobile phones have become something that is very difficult to control and is driving many teachers todriving many teachers to [drive sb to)driving many teachers to distractiondistractiondistraction when trying to fosterfosterfoster a learning environment in their classroom. Phones are constantly ringing or pingingpinging [ping]pinging during the lessons, and pupils are obsessed with checking their phones on a regular basis. Generally, when they feel bored, they turn to their phones as a distraction. Head teacher Katharine Birbalsingh also said, “We think mobile phones are extremely distracting for children and the devices interrupt their concentration and their ability to think.”

There is also a strong belief that mobile phones in schools can act as a “breeding groundbreeding groundbreeding ground” for cyber‑bullying through the inappropriateinappropriateinappropriate use of social media sites and online videos. It is far too easy today for bullies to attack other students while hiding behind a phone.

What is more, according to a recent study by the London School of Economics, banning phones had the effect of giving pupils the equivalentequivalentequivalent of an additionaladditionaladditional hour a week in school or an extra week's education over the course of an academic year. Other researchersresearchers [researcher]researchers looked at schools in four English cities that had banned phones and found test scores increased by more than 6%.

Mobile phones are not just having an effect inside but also outside the classroom as the use of them distracts pupils from healthy exercise and good old‑fashionedold‑fashionedold‑fashioned play. During breaks and lunch times, it is common to find many students huddledhuddled [huddle]huddled together staring blanklyblanklyblankly into their screens. In France, there is now a law to prevent children from using their phones inside the grounds, and the UK would like to follow suitfollow suitfollow suit.

While schools are looking for solutions to the excessive use of phones by young people, it seems that there is no escape from them and the place for them in the modern education system should be found.

1 Źródło: Dorota Giżyńska, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.