Government backs restrictions on phone use in lessons

The Government Commission on Legislative Activities supported the proposal submitted to the State Duma initiative on the rules for schoolchildren using phones during classes. The draft review of the government commission leads TASS. The draft law will be considered in the State Duma this week.

The bill, submitted to the State Duma on October 27, was developed by a group of deputies led by the chairman of the Education Committee Olga Kazakova. The initiative proposes banning the use of phones during lessons. Exceptions are situations related to risks to life and health, as well as cases “provided for by the educational program.”

The government commission considered that the proposed bill contributes to “strengthening the authority of the teaching profession and will provide additional guarantees for teaching staff when carrying out professional activities.”

“The schools will decide for themselves how this will be done in detail. Whether gadgets will be stored in lockers, boxes, tables, briefcases, or whether they will not be brought to school at all, will be decided by parents together with teachers,” Olga Kazakova explained at a meeting of the State Duma Council (quote from “RIA News”). Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov noted that parents will remain in touch with their children, but using the phone in lessons will only be possible with the permission of the teacher.

According to the draft law, teachers will also be able to contact the governing bodies of an educational organization if students violate or infringe on their rights. In this case, a “disciplinary statement” may be applied to the student. The measures proposed in the project are aimed, in particular, at “strengthening the dominant role of the teacher in the learning process.”

Lusine Balasyan