In concrete terms, from September 1, 2024, students will still be allowed to have a smartphone with them, but it must remain in the book bag or backpack as long as the student is in school. Also during breaks on the playground. Students are currently allowed to use their smartphones during breaks. The device is already prohibited in buildings and classrooms.
The new measure will also apply to excursions, unless the school communicates otherwise. In fact, students will only be allowed to use their smartphones if a teacher gives permission for didactic reasons. The new policy applies to all 1,200 students at Sint-Lievenscollege: in the first, second and third grades.
“The main reason for our decision is the loss of concentration and permanent distraction that smartphones cause,” says general manager Filip Preckler, who informed parents and students in a letter on May 8. “We also ban mobile phones during the break because every opening started to cause discussion. There are also privacy reasons: it is annoying for students and teachers if they are unwantedly photographed or filmed.”
Just gaming
The school is already communicating the new policy because students and parents are starting to re-enroll for next school year. “We think it is important that parents, in addition to choosing a course of study, also choose the policy that the school pursues,” says Filip Preckler. “It would not be right to have our students register and then introduce a new policy two months later. Anyone who does not agree can now choose another school.”
“The main reason for our decision is the loss of concentration and permanent distraction that smartphones cause”
Philip Preckler
General director Sint-Lievenscollege
According to the general manager, the first reactions to the stricter regulations have varied. “There are parents who wish to remain in constant contact with their children. They have a more difficult time with the entanglement. At the same time, we also hear positive sounds.”
General Manager Filip Preckler. — © Jan Van der Perre
The parent council of Sint-Lievenscollege was not available for comment on Wednesday afternoon. A mother of a 13-year-old student who is taking lessons in the first grade reacts satisfied. “Even my daughter doesn’t think it’s a bad measure. She sometimes complained about the smartphones during the break. The boys in particular would only play games. Moreover, a little trouble sometimes takes place on a playground. This is then immediately filmed, photographed and shared. Banning smartphones helps prevent these things.”
Enforcement
The parent wonders how the school will enforce the new measure and whether the students will be able to do without a telephone during the break. “Anyone who has observed the playground of a secondary school knows that many students are busy on their phones. If that is suddenly no longer there, it will be a major adjustment for many young people.”
“It will be a big adjustment for many young people”
Student’s mother
Director Filip Preckler assures that in the coming weeks and months it will be examined how the new policy will be enforced and whether there will be sanctions for those who do not comply with the rules. “That communication will follow at the start of the new school year. It is now important to inform the parents before registrations start.”
Catholic Education Flanders, the umbrella organization of which Sint-Lievenscollege is a part, announces that there is no general guideline for the use of smartphones in schools. “There is no demand for this from the schools,” says spokesperson Pieter-Jan Crombez. “Schools determine their own policy and at most ask for support, such as advice about keeping smartphones during class hours.”
“There may no longer be a single school that still allows the unbridled use of smartphones”
Philip Preckler
General manager
According to Crombez, every school today has a smartphone policy. “In recent months, some schools have introduced stricter rules, but every school has started working on this theme in recent years. Perhaps there is no longer a single school that still allows the unbridled use of smartphones.”
: “Anyone who does not agree can now choose another school” (Antwerp)){kind=link}