High schools in Ho Chi Minh City ban students from using cell phones, even during recess.

Students of Thanh Loc High School, District 12 on the day of welcoming 10th grade students

PHOTO: THANH LOC HIGH SCHOOL

That is Thanh Loc High School, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City. This is also one of the few public high schools in Ho Chi Minh City that has a strict rule prohibiting students from using mobile phones during the 8 main school periods of the day, including recess.

Teachers also do not use phones during class.

Mr. Luong Van Dinh, Principal of Thanh Loc High School, said that from the beginning of the new school year 2024-2025, the school will begin to apply the above regulations. Mr. Dinh said that before making this decision, the school had to hold a meeting with the pedagogical council, unify opinions from the collective team of teachers, get opinions from parents, and also discuss, talk, and make ideas with students so that they understand why they are not allowed to use cell phones during the 8 regular school hours, including recess.

According to the regulations of Thanh Loc High School, District 12, students are not allowed to use cell phones during the morning class time - from 6:50 to 10:45 and during the afternoon class time - from 12:50 to 16:45. During recess between classes, students are also not allowed to use cell phones.

After the regular school hours, students who are boarding, eating and resting at school are allowed to use their phones during this lunch break. However, during the afternoon classes, they must turn off their phones and follow the rule "no cell phones allowed".

Opening ceremony of the 2024-2025 school year at school

PHOTO: THANH LOC HIGH SCHOOL

According to Principal Luong Van Dinh, the school does not have lockers for students, so students will not bring their phones to school, or if they do bring them, they will have to turn them off and keep them safe. They are not allowed to use them in class or during recess.

"In the past, when the school applied this rule, there were still students who secretly used it or intentionally used it. When teachers caught students still intentionally using their phones during the 8 regular periods, the school would temporarily confiscate the phone until the end of the period before returning it. The first time a student violated the rule, they would be warned, but after 3 violations, the parents would be invited to the school to discuss it," said Mr. Dinh.

This monitoring and management will be checked by teachers, student management teachers, and school staff.

Notably, in addition to strictly prohibiting students from using cell phones during 8 periods at school, Thanh Loc High School also requires teachers not to use cell phones during teaching hours. "Because if teachers are still holding their phones, how can they talk to students?", Mr. Dinh emphasized.

"Whatever is good for students, I will do"

The high school regulations issued with Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDDT dated September 15, 2020 of the Ministry of Education and Training stipulate that "students are not allowed to use mobile phones or other devices while studying in class that are not used for studying and are not permitted by teachers".

At Thanh Loc High School, when teachers allow students to use mobile phones for lessons, it is not a random thing to let them take out their mobile phones to do homework or study. Teachers must show this in the teaching plan in advance and the school must know that plan and discuss it with the students' parents in advance.

The principal of Thanh Loc High School also said that the school has 3 computer rooms with a total of 120 computers, all connected to the internet, to facilitate the students' learning. In the near future, the school will equip more computers connected to the internet in the school library so that students can easily look up more information and documents here.

Mr. Dinh confided that he, as the school principal, also had to think very hard before making a rule prohibiting students from using cell phones so that the pedagogical council, teachers, school staff and parents could come to an agreement. Mr. Dinh also had to carefully study the high school regulations and the circular of the Ministry of Education and Training. "After much thought and consideration, we decided on the above rule. Because we see what is good for students, what is beneficial for students, we do it," said Mr. Dinh.

Separated from mobile phones, students are more connected with each other

PHOTO: THANH LOC HIGH SCHOOL

Mr. Dinh said that since the beginning of the new school year 2024-2025 until now, when applying the above regulation, he observed students, some of them were sad because they were not yet used to "escaping" from their phones. But many students were happy, more active, willing to participate in sports activities in the school yard, or sit and read books, chat with friends. In the past, when students were not banned from using cell phones, at recess, students just sat in class and each had a phone to "click".

Parents of students at Thanh Loc High School also agree with the school's regulations. Many parents said that when their children are at home, they cannot prevent or control all the time their children spend using cell phones, so now they just want their children to go to school so that they can "escape" from their cell phones and focus on studying.

Thanh Loc High School has 2,000 students with 44 classes, the rate of studying 2 sessions/day is 100%.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truong-thpt-o-tphcm-cam-hoc-sinh-dung-dien-thoai-di-dong-ke-ca-gio-ra-choi-185240914072510075.htm