The government programme proposes to change the law to allow tighter restrictions on smartphones during the school day, and one researcher has an idea how that might be done.
With the new rules still in the drafting stage, researcher Ramin Izadi of the VATT Institute for Economic Research proposed that Finland introduce a trial banning smartphones in certain schools selected at random.
He suggests this idea could be attractive to politicians, as they would be able to implement it quickly and get the results before the next election.
Izadi said that smartphone restrictions have been found to have positive results in many countries.
Better learning outcomes, less bullying
Norway and England have seen promising indications that smartphone usage restrictions can help teachers and students.
Izadi said that in Norway girls' results improved in the early teenage years, and bullying was reduced. Mental health also seemed to improve, as there were fewer visits to school psychologists.
In England smartphone bans were studied in post-16 education. Grades improved with the biggest strides made by the weakest students.
In Sweden, however, restrictions did not seem to have an observable effect on learning.
"That could be because the Swedish research setup allowed for looser restrictions in schools," said Izadi.
In Finland, the Education Ministry has been working on options short of a total ban, with more emphasis on teacher discretion. The new Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz (SPP) told Yle that he does not support a general ban on smartphones in the classroom, but that teachers should be able to decide.
All options remain on the table, however, as the ministry is still exploring different options.
Izadi suspected that lighter restrictions could be ineffective. He suggested that school routines should change significantly if the results are to be effective.
"If the restriction is for example that there's a ban on using smartphones during lessons, then the rule can be skirted quite easily," said Izadi. "The teacher can hardly watch 20 students at once."
Researcher: Random trial would be politically easy
Random trials have previously been used to test the effects of basic income. At present there is a two-year preschool trial ongoing, and Izadi said that the same model could work to test out smartphone bans.
"It is cheap to implement, it has huge potential uses for example in learning outcomes, and the results will come quickly, probably before the next parliamentary election," said Izadi.
Izadi also suggested that the trial could be politically attractive.
First of all the quick turnaround would mean that politicians would get the credit for the reform during their own time in office.
Trials are also an easier way to test the stricter measures. Politicians would not need to commit to the rules before their effectiveness is proven.
On the other hand, if the result is that a ban does not improve learning or improve students' mental health, the trial could help governments avoid a reform that could have been implemented based on erroneous presumptions.
Izadi compared the situation to Sweden, where a total ban on smartphones is currently in the works. If the ban is introduced in one go, it will remain unclear how much use — if any — it actually is.
Without a trial, Izadi suggested that a smartphone ban could in the worst case scenario mean taking education policy backwards.
"The threat would be that we're lulled into thinking that something has been done and Finnish schools have been saved," said Izadi. "At the same time other reforms could be left undone, as there is no evidence on their effectiveness."
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