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The President of the National Teacher's Union (SNE) Patrick Remakel spoke about smartphones in the classroom and the need for increased staff to better help pupils with special needs.
On Monday morning, SNE President, Patrick Remakel shared his views on the newly instated smart phone ban in Luxembourgish primary schools.
Speaking on behalf of the teacher's union, Remakel expressed full support for the ban, stating that smartphones often cause disruptions in the classroom and hinder the teaching process. Disruptions include scrolling on social media during class hours, taking photos without consent and the creation of WhatsApp groups that lead to bullying and negative behaviour.
He also stressed the important role parents play in helping teachers and staff enforce the new policy as there needs to be unified action between teachers, parents, Maison Relay and other relevant actors.
The ban was implemented in response to increasing concerns from teachers about the growing number of pupils with special needs. These students often need to be temporarily removed from regular classes to receive specialised support. To address this issue, staffing levels would need to be significantly increased, and the current operations of competence centres reevaluated. Tackling the rising number of children with special needs is also critical for the wellbeing of teachers, as nearly over 30% of the teaching staff are reportedly on the brink of burnout.
Listen to the full interview in Luxembourgish, or head over to RTL Play to watch the interview.
