What do parents of school children think about the use of mobile phones in the classrooms?
Digitalisation is bringing new opportunities but also challenges to education. In our latest representative survey, we focused on finding out the views of the Slovak population the use of mobile phones during school hours or while at school
The use of mobile phones in schools is a topic that divides teachers, parents and students themselves.
The survey showed that the Slovak population is struggling to find a balance between a complete ban on the use of mobile devices on school premises and the active involvement of mobile phones in the classroom.
As a compromise solution, part of the population sees allowing the use of mobile phones before and after school.
Primary schools
As regards primary schools, about a third of the population prefers a complete ban on the use of mobile phones on school premises, even outside school hours.
Around a third of the population would agree that mobile devices could be used before and after school and a further seventh would agree that mobile phones could be used during breaks.
Only a tenth of the population has the exact opposite view, and they think mobiles should be actively used in schools, including during school hours as part of the teaching process, for example as a means of searching for information.
Parents who have school-age children in primary schools have a similar view of children's use of mobiles while at school as the population as a whole. Apparently for safety and logistical reasons, they would be slightly less in favour of an absolute ban on the use of mobiles on school premises, with most in favour of allowing the use of mobiles before and after school, and possibly also during breaks.
Secondary schools
The population is considerably more open-minded about the use of mobile devices in secondary schools than in primary schools.
A sixth of the population is completely against the use of mobile phones in secondary schools.
A third of the population prefers limited use of mobile phones in school, restricted to use only before and after school. Another quarter are in favor of allowing students to use cell phones during breaks.
Conversely, about one-sixth of the population would also be in favour of more active involvement of mobile phone use in the teaching process.
Parents with school-age children are divided in their opinion on the use of mobile phones in secondary schools very similarly to the population as a whole.
One-sixth are in favour of a total ban and one-sixth would like to see active use of mobile phones during school hours. The remaining (largest) proportion of parents would allow the use of mobile devices before and after school or during breaks.
People of different ages have the biggest differences in their views on the use of mobiles while at school. The older a person is, the more inclined they are to prefer a complete ban on mobile phone use while at school.
But even among young people under 24, around half think that mobiles should either be banned completely in primary schools or their use should be limited to before or after school.
About the survey
All of the above information comes from a representative survey of the Slovak population aged 15-79, conducted by Go4insight on a representative sample of 1,000 respondents in July-August 2024. The survey was conducted using the Multimode method - a combination of face-to-face and online questioning.
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