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Norwegian city to introduce mobile phone ban in schools

The Local Norway
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Norwegian city to introduce mobile phone ban in schools
Stavanger Bay. Photo: Photo: Depositphotos

The municipal government in Stavanger is to introduce a mobile phone ban in schools, while smaller children will not be given individual access to computers.

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On Thursday, Stavanger’s left-wing city council will submit its first budget after winning municipal elections earlier in the autumn.

The budget will take steps to give children a ‘detox’ from the online world, media Klassekampen writes.

According to the budget, students in the first to fourth grades will no longer be given personal computers. These will be replaced with class machines that can be taken out when teachers think they are needed.

The measure will save the municipality 12 million kroner over four years, news agency NTB writes.

Guidelines for schools to become mobile-free will be implemented at all grades, from first to tenth.

Mímir Kristjánsson, group leader for the left-wing Red party in the Stavanger municipality, told Klassekampen that he is concerned about the combination of private PCs, tablets, smartphones and other devices to which children are exposed on a daily basis.

The many ways to get online can give the youngest children an overdose of digitalization, Kristjánsson said.

“There is not a great deal of research that gives clear answers on whether it is good to have so much screen time so early in life. But it is certain that a bit of non-screen time won’t do kids any harm,” he said.

READ ALSO: Norway to promote independent thinking, in-depth study for kids in new schools learning plan

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