Baar schools clarify their rule on mobile phones and smartwatches

The schools in Baar have adopted a new rule regarding mobile phone use in schools, and this will be implemented in all municipal educational institutions from the coming school year onwards.
 

The aim is to ‘adapt to the new circumstances,’ says school president Vital Hotz, with the new measure based on an existing regulation from 2004.

Strictly speaking, the new regulation is more of a clarification of the existing policy. The school and disciplinary regulations from 2004 stipulate that private electronic devices that are not used for teaching purposes must be switched off at school. This was stated in a recent press release from the municipality of Baar. In the age of smartwatches, ‘this rule is no longer practical.’ When asked, Vital Hotz explained in more detail: ‘You can't immediately see whether they are switched on or off.’ For this reason, smartwatches and mobile phones must not be visible or audible in the future. They must be stored in backpacks or be handed in to the teacher.

This rule applies throughout the school day, i.e. continuously from 7.15 am to 5 pm, or until 11.45 am on Wednesdays. The measure will also be implemented during breaks, on school camps and trips, in after-school care and at music school.

The schools in Baar are clarifying their rules on the use of personal electronic devices on school premises  Symbolic photo: lovetoknow.com
 

Cyberbullying is also to be reduced
Due to the school and disciplinary regulations already in place, the new rule is more of a formal nature. According to Vital Hotz, however, it’s also intended to raise awareness of the issue and to sensitise pupils and parents to the rule. The latter were informed of the change in a letter dated 1^st July.

And what are the hopes for this? Vital Hotz is quoted in the press release as saying: ‘It’s important to us that students communicate directly with each other, and not with their smartphones.’ In addition, the measure promotes concentration during lessons and is hoped to reduce cyberbullying. However, it is also important to note that ‘the schools in Baar do not want to shut themselves off from new digital technologies.’ These are an important part of teaching.

The regulation was not decided on at short notice, but was based on pilot projects that were carried out in phases at two secondary schools in Baar: mobile phone-free time was imposed on the school premises, in some cases for several weeks. ‘The trials were evaluated in May and met with a high level of acceptance,’ added Vital Hotz. This was the case on the part of both parents and pupils.

There are no plans to ‘play policeman’ in the future, however. There will be no active patrols, at most a ‘more conscious observation’.

The Baar regulation is already common practice at other schools, for example in Hünenberg and Cham. Other schools handle the issue in a similar way, but less strictly: in Menzingen, for example, music may be listened to with headphones in the playground. And devices must be handed in when entering the classroom at the St. Michael College in Zug.