– It is well established now that the natural thing is that you do not have mobile phones in grades 1-9 during the school day, nor during the breaks. We must increase learning and the acquisition of knowledge in Swedish schools, says Pehrson.
The government and the Sweden Democrats agree that primary school should become mobile-free. This should be the norm throughout Sweden, according to the Tidö parties.
The school law must therefore be tightened. Principals must be able to decide on individual exceptions to the mobile phone ban.
– You strengthen the learning, you increase the activity during the breaks and that in itself will contribute, in our assessment, to improved knowledge results in primary school. It’s a culture change, says Pehrson.
“Dark Rabbit Hole”
The Minister of Labor Markets and Integration points out that his own children were affected by this “experiment” and that the phones were used too freely at school, which has not been to any advantage.
In the classrooms you must be focused, and during the breaks you must not stare down at a screen, says Pehrson.
– Then you should have activities, preferably movement, preferably that you talk to your schoolmates and not sink into the social media, which can often lead into a rather dark rabbit hole in the underworld where young people feel bad. We need to focus on real life and that’s what school is for.
In practical terms, mobile phones must be collected in the morning and then returned when the school day is over, they must stay in a kind of “phone hotel”.
– It is probably not the most difficult question in the world.
Last year, the school law was changed so that, as a rule, mobile phones may only be used in teaching after the teacher’s instructions, and the possibility of confiscated phones increased.
But according to a dissertation from the University of Gothenburg from 2022, the law is problematic in that the students need the mobile phone for school work and still find ways to bring it into the classroom.
The Pisa results
Pehrson believes that the principals who have already introduced mobile-free school days have succeeded.
– It has been good. And now we have seen that this has been so good that it should be the starting point for all schools. It is absolutely necessary, not least in light of the Pisa results.
Why is secondary school not covered?
– When you are older, you become somewhat more mature and can understand this yourself, and furthermore, high school is not covered by compulsory schooling, it is basically voluntary, although I recommend everyone to study a high school program.
Johan Pehrson says that the mobile phone ban should come into force as soon as possible, but that it will take a year or so to prepare the proposal first.