School wants total ban on mobile phones

The pupils are present in the classroom. But not entirely present.

Social media has fundamentally changed schools, says Venezuela-born Berlys Carlota Canas Toftadal, the principal of Fuglafjørður school.

“We have seen a significant increase in bullying since the arrival of social media.” And the school in Fuglafjørður is not the only school ringing the alarm bells regarding social media and bullying.

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There is at least as much bullying online as there is in face-to-face encounters, and there is no doubt that social media plays a big part in this, says Súsanna í Króki, a youth counsellor in the SSP project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between schools, social authorities and the police, tasked with promoting the safety and well-being of children and teenagers.

The school in Fuglafjørður has implemented a number of measured aimed at solving this problem, including online lectures, the SSP project and IT classes, which include elements of online safety.

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But schools cannot solve this problem on their own, says the principal, who would like to see better cooperation between schools, parents and politicians.

“The measures we are currently using may not be enough,” she says.

“I would like to see a policy for all schools in which mobile phones are banned during school hours.”

Youth counsellor Króki supports this idea.

“A complete ban on phones in schools would certainly be possible and useful, but we must not forget the importance of solid communication between schools and parents.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.