The Ministry of Education in China ruled that children will be banned from using their mobile phones in school.
The new policy says that pupils will not be allowed to bring mobile phones with parental consent.
In a BBC report, the authorities say they want to protect young people’s eyesight and at the same time improve their focus in school activities and prevent addiction to the internet.
Schools were urged to find other ways to provide communication between parents and their children without mobile phones.
According to one of the country’s newspapers, China Daily, there has been heated debate among parents over this new policy.
At least 74% of those aged 18 years old and below have their own smartphones.
Authorities however cited the need to protect the children’s eyesight. There has been a continuous increase of nearsightedness cases among children in China in 2018.
Gaming addiction can also affect the mental health of the children.
China has also imposed a curfew on gaming for children. The ban on smartphones is now a hot topic on Chinese social media. Some 27,000 people voted on a website saying that there is no need for the new rule because it’s already banned during school hours. (TDT)
