<p>In a move to minimise distractions and promote focused learning, the Dutch government has announced that mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches will be widely prohibited in classrooms starting from January 1, 2024.&nbsp;The aim is to create an environment that limits the interference caused by these devices during lessons.</p>

<p>However, there will be few exceptions for the use of these devices, Reuters news agency reported.&nbsp;Under the new changes, the use of mobile devices will only be permitted if they are deemed essential. For example, they may be allowed during lessons focused on digital skills, for medical purposes, or for individuals with disabilities who rely on such devices.</p>

<h2>Mobile phones are a disruption to learning</h2>

<p>Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf stressed the need for students to concentrate and have the best possible conditions for effective studying. He stated that while mobile phones have become deeply integrated into everyone's lives, they are not suitable for the classroom.</p>

<p>"Even though mobile phones are intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom," the minister said in a statement.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philadelphia-gunman-identified-as-gun-loving-blm-supporter-kimbrady-carriker-reports-612409">Philadelphia gunman identified as gun-loving BLM supporter Kimbrady Carriker: Reports</a></p>

<p>He also said that scientific research supports the claim that mobile phones are a disruption to learning, and therefore it is essential to safeguard students from this distraction.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-killed-two-injured-after-explosions-rock-ukrainian-court-612402">One killed, two injured after multiple explosions rock Ukrainian court</a></p>

<p>"Students need to be able to concentrate and need to be given the opportunity to study well. Mobile phones are a disturbance, scientific research shows. We need to protect students against this," the statement by the education minister said.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Collaborative efforts for implementation</strong></h2>

<p>The ban is the outcome of a collaborative agreement between the Ministry of Education, schools, and associated organisations. Dijkgraaf mentioned that schools have the flexibility to devise their own strategies for enforcing the ban.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | British children are shorter than their European peers , says experts</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/british-children-are-shorter-than-their-european-peers-says-experts-612413/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>However, he also cautioned that if satisfactory results are not achieved by the summer of 2024, legal regulations will be put in place to ensure compliance.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


In a move to minimise distractions and promote focused learning, the Dutch government has announced that mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches will be widely prohibited in classrooms starting from January 1, 2024.

In a move to minimise distractions and promote focused learning, the Dutch government has announced that mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches will be widely prohibited in classrooms starting from January 1, 2024. The aim is to create an environment that limits the interference caused by these devices during lessons. However, there will be few exceptions for the use of these devices, Reuters news agency reported. Under the new changes, the use of mobile devices will only be permitted if they are deemed essential. For example, they may be allowed during lessons focused on digital skills, for medical purposes, or for individuals with disabilities who rely on such devices. Mobile phones are a disruption to learning Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf stressed the need for students to concentrate and have the best possible conditions for effective studying. He stated that while mobile phones have become deeply integrated into everyone's lives, they are not suitable for the classroom. "Even though mobile phones are intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom," the minister said in a statement. Also Read | Philadelphia gunman identified as gun-loving BLM supporter Kimbrady Carriker: Reports He also said that scientific research supports the claim that mobile phones are a disruption to learning, and therefore it is essential to safeguard students from this distraction. Also Read | One killed, two injured after multiple explosions rock Ukrainian court "Students need to be able to concentrate and need to be given the opportunity to study well. Mobile phones are a disturbance, scientific research shows. We need to protect students against this," the statement by the education minister said. Collaborative efforts for implementation The ban is the outcome of a collaborative agreement between the Ministry of Education, schools, and associated organisations. Dijkgraaf mentioned that schools have the flexibility to devise their own strategies for enforcing the ban. Watch | British children are shorter than their European peers , says experts × However, he also cautioned that if satisfactory results are not achieved by the summer of 2024, legal regulations will be put in place to ensure compliance. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Netherlands to ban mobile devices in classrooms from next year

Poor air quality threatens the health of all living beings from humans to even plants. In Sydney, scientists are now monitoring the air quality inside schools to see if it is healthy for children.

WION Climate Tracker: Scientists in Sydney study air quality in classrooms

<p>As the students return to schools after extended lockdowns, officials have announced that classrooms will be fitted with air quality monitors.</p>

<p>UK’s education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all classrooms will now be fitted with air quality monitors once the state schools and colleges reopen after the summer holidays.</p>

<p><strong>Also read :&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fantastic-news-uk-approves-first-ever-covid-antibody-treatment-407215" hreflang="en">'Fantastic news': UK approves first ever Covid antibody treatment</a></strong></p>

<p>These monitors "will enable staff to act quickly where ventilation is poor and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working,"&nbsp;said Williamson. "Providing all schools with CO2&nbsp;monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place, minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world-class lessons and catch up for the children who need it."</p>

<p>This decision has been taken to tackle the hesitancy around sending students back to schools and colleges due to the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> pandemic.</p>

<p>The Department of Education (DfE) is planning to spend £25 million in order to provide 300,000 CO2 monitors. These devices will be able to alert staff and students if the CO2 levels of students increase, which would mean that fresh air is failing to circulate.</p>

<p><strong>Also read :&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/help-us-help-you-nhs-concerned-as-people-delay-cancer-treatment-due-to-covid-pandemic-405432" hreflang="en">'Help Us, Help You': NHS concerned as people delay cancer treatment due to Covid pandemic</a></strong></p>

<p>Some believe this decision has been announced after several unions reached out to the government and urged them to urgently provide ventilation system and air-monitoring devices in schools and universities to help keep the students safe as they return to educational institutions.</p>

<p>"We have repeatedly called for government investment in ventilation systems for schools and colleges to help tackle the risk of coronavirus transmission, and we are therefore pleased that there is finally a plan to do something practical about this issue by providing carbon dioxide monitors,"&nbsp;Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders was quoted saying by the Guardian. "In truth, this equipment should have been in place ready for the start of the autumn term, and arguably a lot earlier in the crisis, but it is a case of better late than never."</p>


As the students return to schools after extended lockdowns, officials have announced that classrooms will be fitted with air quality monitors. UK’s education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all classrooms will now be fitted with air quality monitors once the state schools and colleges reopen after the summer holidays.

As the students return to schools after extended lockdowns, officials have announced that classrooms will be fitted with air quality monitors. UK’s education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all classrooms will now be fitted with air quality monitors once the state schools and colleges reopen after the summer holidays. Also read : 'Fantastic news': UK approves first ever Covid antibody treatment These monitors "will enable staff to act quickly where ventilation is poor and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working," said Williamson. "Providing all schools with CO2 monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place, minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world-class lessons and catch up for the children who need it." This decision has been taken to tackle the hesitancy around sending students back to schools and colleges due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Education (DfE) is planning to spend £25 million in order to provide 300,000 CO2 monitors. These devices will be able to alert staff and students if the CO2 levels of students increase, which would mean that fresh air is failing to circulate. Also read : 'Help Us, Help You': NHS concerned as people delay cancer treatment due to Covid pandemic Some believe this decision has been announced after several unions reached out to the government and urged them to urgently provide ventilation system and air-monitoring devices in schools and universities to help keep the students safe as they return to educational institutions. "We have repeatedly called for government investment in ventilation systems for schools and colleges to help tackle the risk of coronavirus transmission, and we are therefore pleased that there is finally a plan to do something practical about this issue by providing carbon dioxide monitors," Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders was quoted saying by the Guardian. "In truth, this equipment should have been in place ready for the start of the autumn term, and arguably a lot earlier in the crisis, but it is a case of better late than never."

UK classrooms to have air quality monitors to fight Covid: Education Minister

<p>The recent dismissal of a white New York professor for reading aloud the "N-word" from a Mark Twain novel has shone a spotlight on the use of&nbsp;racial&nbsp;slurs&nbsp;in&nbsp;American&nbsp;classrooms.</p>

<p>It has renewed a long-standing debate about how books from some of the United States' most famous authors should be taught during an age of reckoning with&nbsp;racial&nbsp;injustice.</p>

<p>After years of hearing the term read from the texts of writers such as Twain and William Faulkner, students are increasingly taking a stand.</p>

<p>"There was no reason that I should have to go to my class and hear that slur," said Dylan Gilbert recalling the time in 2019 when her white English teacher at the University of Michigan uttered the term while reciting a passage from Faulkner.</p>

<p>Gilbert, who is Black, walked out of class.</p>

<p>"It felt like a reminder that even though I had gotten into Michigan I would still not be afforded the same opportunity for a safe learning environment as my white peers," she told AFP.</p>

<p>The issue came into sharp focus again last month when Hannah Berliner Fischthal, who is white, departed St. John's University in Queens, NYC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She apologized after upsetting several students by pronouncing the&nbsp;racial&nbsp;slur out loud while reading an extract from Twain's 1894 book "Pudd'nhead Wilson" -- having first explained the context for the word in Twain's text and saying she hoped it would not cause offence.</p>

<p>The incident came after another professor, also white, this time at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania was dismissed for using the&nbsp;slur during a course.</p>

<p>"The word has such a history and such a psychological-emotional impact that just hearing the word, for some people, can be disruptive," said Arizona State University English professor Neal Lester, who is Black.</p>

<p>Derived from a Latin word, it became widely used in 18th Century America, partly to dehumanize African Americans and cast them as an inferior race.</p>

<p>Lester says he never says the word in his classroom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vershawn Young, a Black communications professor, takes a different view.</p>

<p>When, in June 2020, his employer, the University of Waterloo, announced that the word was banned on campus, Young refused to adhere to the new rule.</p>

<p>"When reading from a text, I say the word," he told AFP. "When students quote the text, they too are free to speak what they read. However, they also may replace the word with its euphemism. What they can't do is ignore it."</p>

<p>Young says he always prepares his students that it is coming so they aren't shocked.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Outside of quotes, I do not use the word because I recognize my authority in relation to the multiple sensitivities that my students embody," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Censorship</strong></p>

<p>In an article in The Conversation last year, Young wrote that the ban on his campus censored Black professors like himself.</p>

<p>"I belong to multiple Black communities, where we use the N-word in six or seven culturally rich ways," he wrote, adding that banning it "serves the purposes of white supremacy."</p>

<p>In recent decades it has been culturally acceptable for Black people to use the word. It is regularly heard in discussions, movies or music, hip-hop songs being the most obvious example.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Hearing a non-black person say the N-word is always offensive and harmful to me," said Gilbert, the student who objected to her white teacher using it.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-former-finance-minister-javid-appointed-as-health-minister-394201"><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;UK's former finance minister Javid appointed as health minister</strong></a></p>

<p>"(But) I have no problem with Black people saying (it). In my personal opinion the word is never violent or threatening to me when it comes out of Black person's mouth," she added.</p>

<p>Wendy Kaminer, a lawyer and writer who used to be an&nbsp;American&nbsp;Civil Liberties Union board member, said "the distinction between quoting a&nbsp;racial&nbsp;slur and using a&nbsp;racial&nbsp;slur has been completely erased."</p>

<p>"I think that's quite problematic," she told AFP.</p>

<p>Kaminer says the disappearance of the word from university campuses is part of a wider trend that started in the 1990s of banning other terms, including relating to sexuality and minorities.</p>

<p>She&nbsp;thinks the United States, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution, is moving towards a more western European approach to the regulation of what people can and can't say.</p>

<p>For Lester, the Arizona State University professor, the answer is to talk about the word and its complex history without uttering it.</p>

<p>"I've had many conversations in class around the word without actually saying it," she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That in and of itself is not a huge intellectual gymnastics routine."</p>


The recent dismissal of a white New York professor for reading aloud the "N-word" from a Mark Twain novel has shone a spotlight on the use of racial slurs in American classrooms.

The recent dismissal of a white New York professor for reading aloud the "N-word" from a Mark Twain novel has shone a spotlight on the use of racial slurs in American classrooms. It has renewed a long-standing debate about how books from some of the United States' most famous authors should be taught during an age of reckoning with racial injustice. After years of hearing the term read from the texts of writers such as Twain and William Faulkner, students are increasingly taking a stand. "There was no reason that I should have to go to my class and hear that slur," said Dylan Gilbert recalling the time in 2019 when her white English teacher at the University of Michigan uttered the term while reciting a passage from Faulkner. Gilbert, who is Black, walked out of class. "It felt like a reminder that even though I had gotten into Michigan I would still not be afforded the same opportunity for a safe learning environment as my white peers," she told AFP. The issue came into sharp focus again last month when Hannah Berliner Fischthal, who is white, departed St. John's University in Queens, NYC. She apologized after upsetting several students by pronouncing the racial slur out loud while reading an extract from Twain's 1894 book "Pudd'nhead Wilson" -- having first explained the context for the word in Twain's text and saying she hoped it would not cause offence. The incident came after another professor, also white, this time at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania was dismissed for using the slur during a course. "The word has such a history and such a psychological-emotional impact that just hearing the word, for some people, can be disruptive," said Arizona State University English professor Neal Lester, who is Black. Derived from a Latin word, it became widely used in 18th Century America, partly to dehumanize African Americans and cast them as an inferior race. Lester says he never says the word in his classroom. Vershawn Young, a Black communications professor, takes a different view. When, in June 2020, his employer, the University of Waterloo, announced that the word was banned on campus, Young refused to adhere to the new rule. "When reading from a text, I say the word," he told AFP. "When students quote the text, they too are free to speak what they read. However, they also may replace the word with its euphemism. What they can't do is ignore it." Young says he always prepares his students that it is coming so they aren't shocked. "Outside of quotes, I do not use the word because I recognize my authority in relation to the multiple sensitivities that my students embody," he added. Censorship In an article in The Conversation last year, Young wrote that the ban on his campus censored Black professors like himself. "I belong to multiple Black communities, where we use the N-word in six or seven culturally rich ways," he wrote, adding that banning it "serves the purposes of white supremacy." In recent decades it has been culturally acceptable for Black people to use the word. It is regularly heard in discussions, movies or music, hip-hop songs being the most obvious example. "Hearing a non-black person say the N-word is always offensive and harmful to me," said Gilbert, the student who objected to her white teacher using it. Also Read | UK's former finance minister Javid appointed as health minister "(But) I have no problem with Black people saying (it). In my personal opinion the word is never violent or threatening to me when it comes out of Black person's mouth," she added. Wendy Kaminer, a lawyer and writer who used to be an American Civil Liberties Union board member, said "the distinction between quoting a racial slur and using a racial slur has been completely erased." "I think that's quite problematic," she told AFP. Kaminer says the disappearance of the word from university campuses is part of a wider trend that started in the 1990s of banning other terms, including relating to sexuality and minorities. She thinks the United States, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution, is moving towards a more western European approach to the regulation of what people can and can't say. For Lester, the Arizona State University professor, the answer is to talk about the word and its complex history without uttering it. "I've had many conversations in class around the word without actually saying it," she said. "That in and of itself is not a huge intellectual gymnastics routine."

Classrooms grapple with racial slurs in classic American novels

Students are headed back to classrooms in Germany after months where some teachers are happy to interact with their students whereas others are apprehensive about a fresh surge in cases. WION brings you a report.

Students head back to classrooms in Germany as COVID-19 cases rise

<p>Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school.</p>

<p>Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting &quot;Never again!&quot; and &quot;Enough is enough!&quot; and holding signs reading &quot;Protect People Not Guns.&quot;</p>

<p>At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine&#39;s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The &#39;National School Walkout&#39; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The 'National School Walkout' was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>The &quot;National School Walkout&quot; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim.</p>

<p>But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead.</p>

<p>The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates.</p>

<p>The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually.</p>

<p>Organizers come from the same group behind the Women&#39;s March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump&#39;s White House inauguration.</p>

<p>Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.</p>


Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting 'Never again!' and 'Enough is enough!' and holding signs reading 'Protect People Not Guns'

Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school. Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting "Never again!" and "Enough is enough!" and holding signs reading "Protect People Not Guns." At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The 'National School Walkout' was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim × The "National School Walkout" was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim. But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead. The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates. The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually. Organizers come from the same group behind the Women's March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump's White House inauguration. Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.

'Never again!': Students across US walk out of classrooms against gun violence

classrooms

Classrooms, News on Classrooms, stories on Classrooms, articles on Classrooms, Classrooms stories at Wion, Classrooms news, Classrooms latest news