The minister acknowledged that some schools, especially at the primary level, have imposed a mobile phone ban in class despite the central government not taking any stance on such a restriction.
“Moreover, at the senior high school level, the proposed ban must undergo cross-ministerial deliberation,” the minister stated during the commemoration of the 113th anniversary of the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah at Muhammadiyah University in Kudus on Saturday.
According to the minister, discussions on regulating children’s mobile phone use must extend beyond schools since children spend most of their time with these devices at home with their families.
"We need to be attentive to phone use habits at home as most parents often neglect this issue," he said.
The minister then called all parties, including teachers in schools, parents at home, and community figures, to partake in promoting healthy digital life for the children and teach them not to use the device for bullying or committing violence.
"We need to nurture a generation with digital piety so that they will use technology for positive purposes and benefit their education," the minister remarked.
In line with Mu'ti, Muhammadiyah's Central Java regional head, Tafsir, said that the mobile phone ban in schools requires cross-ministerial coordination to prevent misunderstanding. He also called for greater adoption of digital devices in classrooms.
"As we now have smart TVs, perhaps we can reduce the use of mobile phones and use the technology (in classrooms)," he said.
Meanwhile, Central Java Regional Secretary Sumarno said that the provincial authority will listen to public input, including suggestions from parents, before deciding on any restriction of mobile phone use in schools.
"With the current technology development, we will conduct an assessment to determine whether students still need to bring their mobile phones to school," the official said.
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Translator: Akhmad Nazaruddin, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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