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10th October 2024
11:42am BST
Parents and teachers are slating the Government's plan to spend €9 million on smartphone pouches for schools.
As part of the ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ initiative, schools will offer mobile phone pouches to pupils.
Dublin teacher Conor Murphy told Newstalk: "For the majority - 99% of the schools - this is absolutely bizarre. Teachers are definitely livid and I know parents are livid at such a waste of money."
"They're not needed - nobody's called for them, nobody asked for them, no teacher has asked for them, no parent has asked for them," he added.
Minister for Education Norma Foley defended the decision and believes it is the right move for pupils.
In a statement, she said they're determined to make school smartphone-free for the sake of children's mental health,
Foley said: "We want a uniform approach where there will be no access to mobile phones throughout the school day.
"So we have provided €9m for that, for the purchase of things like pouches or whatever types of solutions that might be identified by the school, and schools will verify what those solutions might be."
She continued: "It is our ambition that we will be in a position to have that scheme rolled out in the 24/25 school year.
"It’s a very positive, proactive step to encourage young people to take a mental break from the mobile phones while they’re at school," Foley added.
She believes this scheme will help pupils to acknowledge what they’re learning.
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