Ban on cell phones in schools

Positive mood for the state government’s plans

In future, the cell phone should stay in the school bag or locker while the child is at school.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

In addition to the Air Hundred and the ban on begging, the ban on cell phones in schools is also an important issue for the new Styrian state government. What sounds like torture for many pupils is a welcome solution for principals and teachers. 

The planned ban on cell phones by the FPÖ and ÖVP is due to come into force next school year and will affect all pupils up to the third grade. The response from principals and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's not just the teaching staff who are positive about the plans, but also the parents," says Murau elementary school principal Gudrun Esterl. 

Many schools in Styria already have rules on the use of cell phones during school hours, which are set out in the individual house and school rules. "In the lower school, cell phones are already gone," explains Franz Hasenhütl, principal of the Akademisches Gymnasium Graz. He and his colleagues would nevertheless welcome official legislation from the provincial government on this, as it would create a certain legal backing.

Murau elementary school already has such house rules. This recommends that parents and pupils leave their cell phones and smartwatches, i.e. digital wristwatches that can be connected to a cell phone, at home from the outset. "This is already the case for the majority of pupils," says Esterl. 

My request to the state government is for financial support for implementation.

Direktor Franz Hasenhütl 

Hasenhütl would like to see the FPÖ-ÖVP coalition provide financial support for the implementation of an official ban, as the purchase of so-called cell phone lockers, i.e. special lock boxes for cell phones, is expensive. "The cell phone lockers are expensive, but they make sense," says the principal. At the moment, students at the Akademisches Gymnasium still lock their cell phones in their lockers. Financial resources in the event of an official ban could change this.

Murau is not thinking about purchasing such storage boxes. "Children who bring a cell phone have to keep it in their school bag. The school assumes no responsibility in this regard," explains primary school principal Esterl.

In addition to schools, attempts are now also being made in kindergartens to make parents aware of the issue. The Austrian Family Association is organizing an awareness campaign to create mobile phone-free zones in kindergartens. The aim of this is to ensure that children receive their parents' full attention at drop-off and pick-up time instead of having to share it with mom or dad's cell phone. "Especially after hours in someone else's care, it's important to give children the feeling that You are important to me," explains Family Federation President Johanna Jachs.