Starting September 1, Belarusian schools will become gadget-free territory - who will be exempted?

One of the most discussed innovations of the upcoming school year is the ban on the use of mobile phones in schools. From September 1, schoolchildren will have to hand over mobile phones, smart watches and other devices during classes.

Every rule has exceptions, including this one. For this, the Ministry of Education has prepared a special memo.

Students with medical indications will be allowed to use smartphones in schools (for example, to monitor blood sugar). To do this, you must present a corresponding document from the clinic.

Irina Karzhova

Irina Karzhova, Deputy Head of the Main Department of General Secondary and Preschool Education of the Ministry of Education of Belarus:

"If a child needs a mobile phone to monitor his health, no one will confiscate the device to the detriment of his well-being. In case of an emergency need to contact parents, this issue is also resolved: during a break, the student can contact the teacher responsible for storing phones, get his device, contact his parents and then return the phone before the start of the next lesson."

In Secondary School No. 73 in Minsk, this practice without gadgets has been working for 2 years. The system has been worked out for them. For each student, there is a golden rule: came to school - handed over the phone.

Irina Rodik, Director of School No. 73 in Minsk:

"Over the past 2 years, there has not been a single situation where a child could not resolve an issue. There has not been a single request from a parent that the child could not get through or that something had happened to the mobile phone. If something happens, there are always teachers nearby. There were children with diabetes in our school, there were not many of them, but the teachers were always aware of it. They used a mobile phone to measure their blood sugar levels during breaks. If necessary, the child would calmly get up during class, go out with the phone and carry out this procedure if it was required during school hours."

As for tablets, they can be used by schoolchildren who have problems with the musculoskeletal system and are prohibited by doctors from carrying school bags with textbooks.

Andrey Ivanets, Minister of Education of Belarus:

"For such children, we will allow the use of tablets to read electronic textbooks, but with an important condition - without Internet access and without cellular communications. Many parents of the youngest students use smart watches. We approach this issue very flexibly - children can use such devices, but necessarily in silent mode so that they do not distract from the educational process."

A veto on smartphones during school hours is a common global practice. The focus on live communication has long been placed in China, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. Such a measure helps to avoid mobile addiction.

We remind you that schoolchildren will hand in mobile devices at the beginning of classes and pick them up at the end of the school day. Children and teachers do not need to worry about the safety of their property. Gadgets will be stored in special cells under the sight of CCTV cameras.