Phone ban until 9th ​​grade..

The Portuguese government has decided to extend the smartphone ban, which has been discussed for a long time in schools, by expanding its coverage area until the 9th grade. There was already a restriction up to the 6th grade, but now 7th, 8th and 9th grades are also included in this ring. In fact, schools will be given a short transition period to get used to this new era, and the ban will officially enter our lives on January 1, 2027. The last years of middle school and high school are excluded from this ban for now. So where do you think this decision came from? There is not just a table rule behind the work, there is concrete data from the field. When we look at the information shared by the Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre and the data of PLANAPP, the picture is very clear: The rate of children socializing with each other in schools that restrict the use of phones has increased by 36%. Moreover, disciplinary problems and those annoying cyberbullying cases have dropped noticeably. Picture the school corridors; Everyone's head is buried in the screen, no one says two words to anyone. In places where the ban was imposed, children started to go out to the garden again, play ball, chat, in short, act like children. As the Minister said, screen addiction has actually turned into something that takes away children's freedom. Portugal also joined the international wave that said stop this trend. Of course, it doesn't end with just saying "turn off the screen". The government plans to appoint more than 1,400 specialist staff (mostly psychologists) to schools and reorganize open spaces so that children can socialize. I find this part of the job very valuable; Because simply imposing a ban without offering an alternative does not do much good. Does everyone agree with this decision? Of course not. Mariana Carvalho, president of the National Confederation of Parents' Associations (CONFAP), expresses exactly the great concern we experience at home: "Wouldn't it be better if we taught children to use this technology consciously instead of banning it altogether?" Carvalho also makes a very valid point: A child who cannot touch his phone all day at school may sink more into the screen to close the gap when he comes home. This directly affects the peace at home and the time spent with the family. In other words, there is a risk that the ban will end at the school gate and turn into a new crisis at home. I know from my own experience; It is always a more sustainable way to teach how to establish a correct relationship with technology rather than going to war with it. But on the other hand, it is impossible to ignore children losing their childhood to screens. We will see together what the results of this step taken by Portugal will be in the coming years. But if you ask me, the screams of children echoing in the corridors are still a good start. Michael Bruxo