May 1st brings mobile phone ban with many exceptions

Cell phone use could already be regulated or prohibited within the framework of school autonomy, and most schools have already done so. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) explained the measure in advance by saying he wanted to support school administrators and teachers with clear nationwide regulations. The cell phone ban is intended to liven up classrooms during recess, promote social skills, and ensure that children's ability to concentrate improves. Shortly before Wiederkehr took office, the department had emphasized that cell phone use falls within the scope of school autonomy and that a directive from the ministry or the states was therefore not possible.

According to the new regulation, which only contains technical changes compared to the draft, cell phone use is generally prohibited during the entire time at school and at all types of school events. For multi-day activities such as sports weeks, "age-appropriate use of devices" should be permitted; for example, children and young people should be able to communicate with their parents within a set time frame.

It is firmly planned that cell phones can be used in class at the request of teachers, for example, in digital literacy classes, workshops on online safety, using a digital dictionary, or for fact-checking, etc. Other examples of use would be digital student ID cards, digital maps, or bus and city maps for school events lasting several days. According to the explanations, school partners can also implement "age- and appropriate solutions that deviate from the general principle," for example, by allowing cell phone use at certain times or for certain groups where there are no problems with the sensible use of the devices. Fixed exceptions apply to students who need cell phones for medical reasons (e.g., a blood glucose monitoring app for diabetics). Whether laptops or tablets can be used for digital note-taking is decided by the respective teacher.

Teachers can take away cell phones

The ministry states that students are responsible for the security of their digital devices. Lockers, for example, are generally considered safekeeping, but leaving them unattended in a school bag is not. In the event of violations of the cell phone policy, teachers can confiscate students' devices until the end of the school day. In the event of repeated violations or if the content is problematic (bullying, Islamist, or pornographic), the cell phone can only be returned to the parents or guardians. If the cell phone is damaged or lost after confiscation, the Republic will compensate for the damage.

If a school already has autonomous rules regarding cell phone use, these can generally remain in place—except for passages that contradict the new regulation. In this case, the house rules must be adjusted.