New law to ban mobile phones from classrooms in Ireland

Source: Irish Sun

DUBLIN Ireland: The Irish government is preparing new legislation to ban mobile phones in classrooms nationwide. Senior government ministers are eager to address what they describe as "the scourge" of phones in schools, which they believe negatively impacts education.

Education Minister Norma Foley has acknowledged the issue and is working on legislative solutions to tackle it. Tanaiste Micheal Martin also supports the proposal, which is expected to be brought to the Cabinet for discussion in the coming weeks.

A senior government source confirmed to the Irish Mirror that the Minister is preparing a memo for Education that will be presented to the Cabinet shortly. The proposal is anticipated to receive widespread support from government ministers.

Minister Foley previously indicated support for schools attempting to ban phones voluntarily. However, she is now pushing for more concrete laws and regulations. One government source emphasized the importance of the plan, stating, "It's time to end the scourge of phones in our schools for the wellbeing of our children."

The specifics of the ban have yet to be determined, but some schools have already implemented similar policies successfully by requiring students to leave their phones in lockers or special boxes outside the classroom.

A teacher from Galway shared his perspective on the issue, explaining how smartphones are damaging students' attention spans and facilitating bullying. "In my opinion, a generation has been destroyed by smartphones. Their attention span is ruined; they are never off them under their desks," he said. He also highlighted the issue of online bullying and the premature exposure of younger students to inappropriate content.

Despite welcoming the plan, the veteran teacher acknowledged the potential challenges in implementing the ban, citing possible resistance from parents, teachers, and students. "It's a wonderful idea, but it won't be easy to introduce," he noted, pointing out that students might bring in second phones and parents may demand constant contact with their children.