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UNESCO report urges banning smartphones at schools
A UNESCO report, entitled Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?, urged banning smart phones at schools as excessive use of mobile phones impacts learning.
The report also called on countries to carefully consider how technology is used in schools.
It emphasizes the need for a “human-centered vision” where digital technology serves as a tool rather than taking precedence.
The UNESCO report also highlights the disparities created by digital learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, half a billion students worldwide were left out due to the shift to online-only tuition.
Geographically, the report noted a significant imbalance in online resources favoring Europe and North America.
UNESCO urged countries to set their own standards for the way technology is designed and used in education such that it never replaces in-person, teacher-led instruction and supports the shared objective of quality education for all.
The report underlined that the right to education is increasingly synonymous with the right to meaningful connectivity, yet one in four primary schools do not have electricity. It called for all countries to set benchmarks for connecting schools to the Internet between now and 2030, and for the primary focus to remain on these marginalized communities.
The evolution of technology is putting strain on education systems to adapt, UNESCO argues. Digital literacy and critical thinking are increasingly important, particularly with the growth of generative AI.
Additional data in the report shows that this adaptation movement has begun: 54 per cent of countries surveyed have outlined skills they want to develop for the future, but only 11 out of 51 governments surveyed have curricula for AI.
Moreover, teachers also need appropriate training yet only half of countries currently have standards for developing educators’ information and communication technology skills. Even fewer have teacher training programs covering cybersecurity, despite five percent of ransomware attacks targeting education.
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