Phone-free classrooms

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's initiative to limit smartphone use in classrooms is a welcome step in the right direction.

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The policy, titled "Phone Off, Learning On", addresses the symptoms of a distracted generation.

However, its ultimate success will depend on whether schools can offer something more compelling than the mobile phone screen. Schools will also face the challenge of creating an environment where the quality of teaching and richness of engagement outshine the lure of the algorithm.

Announced by Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the measure asks students in schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to deposit their phones during the school day, with devices used only when teachers deem them necessary for learning.

Bangkok is far from alone in confronting this challenge. In France, a nationwide law prohibits mobile phones in schools for younger students, while the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and several states in Australia have all moved to restrict devices to minimise distraction.