By Brian Jules Campued
Majority of Filipinos, or about 76%, support a ban on smartphone use inside school premises, according to a survey commissioned by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
In a Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 17 to 24, 13% of the adult respondents said they disagree with the gadget ban in schools while 11% were undecided.
Gatchalian, as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, emphasized the benefits of imposing a ban on cellphone use in schools during class hours as gadgets may cause distraction among learners and can negatively impact academic performance of students.
“Malinaw na suportado ng ating mga kababayan ang ating panukala na ipagbawal ang paggamit ng mga cellphones sa mga paaralan, lalo na’t ang paggamit nito sa oras ng klase ay maaaring makapinsala sa kanilang pag-aaral.” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Kaya naman patuloy nating isinusulong ang panukalang batas na magbabawal sa paggamit ng cellphone sa oras ng klase,” he added.
The lawmaker previously filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 2706 or the Electronic Gadget-Free Schools Act which seeks to prohibit learners’ use of mobile devices and electronic gadgets during class hours, from kindergarten up to senior high school.
In filing SB 2706, Gatchalian cited an analysis of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which showed eight in 10 learners aged 15 have reported being distracted by smartphone use during class hours.
