Children’s Rights Week 2024: Misuse of Smartphones in Schools Challenges Children’s Right to Learn
Children’s Rights Day is celebrated every year around the world on November 20th in honor of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nowadays, children’s rights are celebrated for an entire week. Since 2020, Children’s Rights Day has also been an official flag day in Finland.
This year’s theme for Children’s Rights Week is the right of children to learn. Every state that has ratified the convention is committed to providing free primary education for children, which supports the fullest possible development of the child’s personality, talents, and abilities, and prepares the child for a responsible life in a free society (Articles 28 and 29).
In Finland, concerns about the state of primary education and the well-being of students have sparked widespread societal discussion for some time. Recently, the focus has particularly been on the misuse of mobile devices in schools. The government has published a draft law that prohibits the use of phones during primary school lessons. According to the draft proposal, teachers and principals would have the right to confiscate any “object or substance” that a student uses to disrupt teaching. Currently, many schools have a practice of not allowing phones during lessons, but these practices are based on voluntary compliance. The phone ban can be justified by the child’s right to receive education in a safe learning environment, as stated in Section 29 of the Basic Education Act.
The government has estimated that banning the use of phones will positively impact learning outcomes, students’ concentration, and classroom order. The draft law has been prepared under the leadership of Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz, and the law is intended to come into force in August 2025. The ban on the use of mobile devices in primary schools is a good start, but attention should also be directed towards homes. The legislative change increases the school’s means to address the misuse of smartphones in the school environment, but above all, it assigns a stronger role to school staff in raising children. In today’s society, guardians’ perception of their own responsibility in raising children is often lost in the discussion about the role of schools and other societal entities in guiding children towards a good life. Guardians have the primary responsibility for raising their children, and society’s duty is only to support guardians in their educational role. The model for the use of smartphones and social media should come from home.
It should be remembered that the misuse of smartphones is only one factor contributing to the worrying situation in primary schools. Other problems in the school environment must also be systematically addressed to ensure a safe learning environment and the child’s right to learn. Learning is not only a child’s right but also crucial for the future of Finnish society. Every child should continue to be offered equal opportunities for quality education and learning.
Happy Children’s Rights Week!
Maria Rytkönen
The author is an analyst at Blic. Maria specializes in children’s rights and has worked as a legal expert in a child protection organization.