The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training's request to study and advise on a proposed plan to ban students from using mobile phones during recess and during educational activities at school is an appropriate, necessary and supported step.
This not only helps students avoid thinking distractions but also encourages physical exercise and enhances social interaction - indispensable factors in the adulthood process.
In fact, the regulation prohibiting students from using mobile phones in school premises is not new. Many private schools across the country not only ban phones during recess but also ban wearing phones and classrooms for a long time and have recorded many clear results.
In Ho Chi Minh City, there are also some schools, for example, Thanh Loc High School and Truong Chinh High School, which are applying the regulation prohibiting students from using phones in school grounds, even during recess. Students are only allowed to use them with the consent of the teacher, but students are not prohibited from bringing phones to school.
Without a phone, students study more focused and proactively, avoid the temptations of social networks or video games during recess, and have time to play sports, exercise, connect with friends and teachers through direct communication instead of virtual interaction.
Playtime, originally designed as a time to help students relieve stress after school, is now being "iding over" by technological devices. Many students choose to sit quietly in the corner of the classroom, bend their heads at the phone instead of going to the stadium or chatting with friends.
Overusing the phone not only affects mental and physical health but also forms a habit of isolation, narrowing communication skills, a very necessary life skill in the future.
In addition, smartphones can also be the cause of deviant behavior such as online school violence, spreading offensive content, and cheating in school.
When well controlled, banning phones in schools is not a deprivation of students' rights, but a healthy, fair and safe learning environment.
Of course, not all activities in schools need to completely ban phones. Special cases, such as using equipment to study according to teachers' requirements, still need to be flexible.
But it is important that the school must set clear regulations, have appropriate implementation instructions and control measures, and avoid unnecessary forms or inconveniences.
The idea of banning phones of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, if realized and successfully implemented, will be a step to adjust teaching and school culture in a positive direction, and should be spread to many other localities across the country.
Education is not only about teaching, but also about teaching how to be human, about teaching life skills, and that is something that hours of playing without a phone can contribute significantly to success.
