Lower Austria's schools: Use cell phones instead of banished!

Lower Austria's schools: Use cell phones instead of banished!

In the digital age, dealing with smartphones is an important challenge for students. In order to meet these requirements, the Lower Austria Education Directorate has now published handouts for competent use of the devices in schools. stadtlandzeitung.com reports that this initiative primarily aims to support schools in promoting a responsible handling of cell phones. Education Councilor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister and Education Director Karl Fritthum equipped the Dr. Theodor Körner I in St. Pölten a visit to evaluate the new regulations for smartphone use in class.

On May 1, 2025, a novella came into force that regulates specific guidelines for the use of smartphones and smartwatches in class. The newly published materials are available for download on the website of the educational directorate under the "Handy-Competent School" area. There are numerous tips for teaching as well as further links and offers that both teachers and parents support. Particularly noteworthy is the best practice example of a “cell phone-free school” from the BG/BRG Klosterneuburg, which is intended to serve as a model for other schools. The educational directorate invites schools to report if they want to implement similar projects to strengthen communication between schools and parents.

a focus on digital competence

The discussion about smartphones in schools is not new. According to noen.at, it is crucial not only to impose bans, but also to enable them to deal with the technology competent. The aim of the measures is the support of a responsible mobile phone mission in schools and in the private environment.

The topic is hotly debated in many European countries. While smartphone bans have already been introduced in schools in 79 countries, the latest PISA study shows that increasing use of smartphones is correlated with deteriorated student performance. In swr.de wird darauf hingewiesen, dass Smartphone-Verbote oft zu positiven Veränderungen der Pausenkultur führen; The students interact more together and cyber bullying tends to decrease. Klaus Zierer, professor of school pedagogy, confirms that smartphones can influence attention and learning performance even when switched off.

However, there are also concerns that individual regulations of individual schools often have little effect, since students often find ways to avoid them. Educational experts therefore advise binding regulations that promote age -appropriate use of the devices. It is suggested not to allow smartphones in primary school and to provide restrictions for classes 5 to 7 during the school day.

Overall, it can be seen that the lands and schools are faced with a crucial question: How can the balance between the promotion of digital skills and avoiding distractions by smartphones are found? The current handouts in Lower Austria offer a promising approach to take a step in the right direction.