China Focus: China moves to create phone-free classrooms, help minors navigate digital age

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- For Ye Hui, the past summer break has been a digital tug-of-war.

Every time she confiscated the tablet, her 10-year-old son found a way to crack the password. So when the new semester began, she finally felt relief -- not just because he was back in class, but because the law was now on her side.

"Teachers will be more persuasive, given that the ban on smart devices is no longer just a school policy," said Ye, who lives in southwest China's Chongqing municipality.

The ban Ye spoke of is stipulated in a local law on minor crime prevention, which took effect on Sept. 1. It prohibited Ye's son and his counterparts from bringing phones, tablets and other smart devices into school.

Official statistics showed that China has close to 200 million underage internet users, with over 97 percent of minors having online access.

Minors' attention being eroded by the algorithm is a problem faced by countries across the world in the digital age, said Wang Peng, a deputy research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

Putting a mobile device school ban into law is necessary, as it provides legal support for schools to enforce the ban to keep students from such erosion, Wang said.

Chongqing is the latest to elevate a phone ban from a school policy to legislation, as the entire country is working to build a safe and healthy internet environment for children's wholesome growth.

A similar legal ban has already been put in place in Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, Zhengzhou in Henan Province and places across Fujian Province.

The aim is better prevention of internet addiction among underage students, according to Chongqing municipal legislature, noting the provision cited a 2021 guidance document on the protection of minors' rights and interests in school by the Ministry of Education.

In mulling over the local law on minor crime prevention, Chongqing's legislative body found that exposure to bad information as a result of smartphone usage caused some school-age children to develop unhealthy ideas and values, and even commit crimes.

Ye was one of the worrying parents struggling to keep their children away from smartphones' bad influence. Her son spent nearly eight hours every day on screen and even paid for virtual skins and props for online games during the past summer vacation. "He could always find a way to unlock the tablet."

Strict restrictions on smart device use could help nip internet addiction in the bud, Ye hoped.

Xiao Junyi, a student from the 29th Middle School in Chongqing, welcomed the phone ban in school, admitting phones had proven detrimental to students' level of concentration and undermined their learning.

"We would secretly take out the phone and surf online when class was on," Xiao said.

Teachers believe when the phone ban becomes a law provision, it will be more convincing to students and easier for them to enforce.

"It will save a lot of unnecessary lecturing," said Hu Ranrui'an, a deputy head teacher at the Science City Middle School Affiliated to Chongqing Normal University.

But in reality, some children, particularly middle school students who have no parent to take them from and to school, do need cell phones for emergency contact.

"It's not a one-size-fits-all ban," said Jiang Yongsong, a supervisor from the 29th Middle School. There is a provision in the law that allows parents to file a written application if students need phones in school, he said.

Countries around the world have also been introducing bans, with smartphones increasingly seen as a source of classroom distraction and a potential threat to students' well-being.

UNESCO's latest Global Education Monitoring Report showed that 114 education systems now have a national ban on mobile phones in schools, representing 58 percent of countries worldwide.

However, experts cautioned that restriction is not enough to address the problem, calling for joint efforts from society, school and family.

After physically isolating minors from the digital world, there will be room for efforts to foster their concentration and capabilities for in-depth and critical thinking, said Wang Peng.

Ye Hui has already mapped out the reclaimed hours from the screen -- board games on Mondays, jogging on Wednesdays and weekend hikes to replace the virtual battles. "It's about proving the real world can win the battle for his attention," she said. Enditem