"High school students propose 'No Cell Phone Day'"--from Focus Taiwan

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201512200019.aspx

High school students propose 'No Cell Phone Day'

2015/12/20 22:33:45

Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) High schools students on Sunday proposed the idea of a "No Cell Phone Day" to educational officials, saying mobile phones addictions could alienate students from society.

The proposal was made at a forum organized by the Ministry of Education's Youth Development Administration. In the forum, 100 senior high school and vocational high school students gave suggestions to Education Minister Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) and other educational officials on topics including learning and career planning, civil awareness, international perspective, technology development and smart living.
Many people rely on the Internet to solve problems nowadays, but over-depending on the Internet and being addicted to mobile phones could restrict students' thinking, negatively affect their health, and alienate them from other people, the students said.
They advised the ministry to designate a "No Cell Phone Day" to raise awareness of mobile phone addiction.
In response, the ministry's K-12 Education Administration said it is difficult to designate the Day without a social consensus, pointing out the benefits of smart phones in helping people receive letters and check information. Smart phones are also used in education sometimes, the administration said.
It added, however, that it will think of ways to educate students on mobile phone usage to prevent addiction.

My comments: It takes a lot of determination and perseverance.
Students also complained about the tendency of some teachers to "spoon-feed" students, instead of inspiring them to think and engage in debates, and asked officials to improve teachers' assessment and evaluation systems so that unsuitable teachers can be removed more easily.
In response, the K-12 Education Administration said teachers indeed enjoy better job security than company employees, and that a system to remove poor teachers is necessary, but that the issue needs to be studied more carefully because it involves value judgments.
Education Minister Wu said his ministry will begin by helping teachers improve their teaching methods and course materials.
(By Hsu Chih-wei and Christie Chen) ENIDTEM/BL

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The following is the same news reported by the UDN:

http://udn.com/news/story/9156/1390892-「滑世代」向教長訴心聲…想要「無手機日」

「滑世代」向教長訴心聲…想要「無手機日」

2015-12-21 03:44 聯合報 記者林秀姿／台北報導

教育部昨首度舉辦「高中職學生教育高峰論壇」，上百名高中職學生代表與教育部長吳思華對談。這群被外界刻板視為「滑世代」的孩子，有感於思考被網路資訊框限，同學上課滑手機致學習不佳，主動提出推動「無手機日」。

一百多頁提問與建議

「報告部長，博士不能賣雞排嗎？」「部長，為什麼父母不讓我讀社會組？」來自全國的上百名高中職學生代表在十一月連續兩個周末充分討論、凝聚共識後，昨提出厚達一百多頁的報告書，分組當面向吳思華提出諸多疑問與建議。學生代表說，這一百多頁提問與建議，在「大人的世界」也許無法一一實現，但這是高中生願景，希望台灣更好。

拒滑手機建言獲掌聲

其中「科技發展與智慧生活」組學生提議，教育部應制定「無手機日」，一年有一天讓全國高中職以下學生不帶手機入校園。未料滑世代拒滑手機的建言一提出，台下學生掌聲連連。

馬公高中學生陳品全說，上課時滑手機的學生很多，老師很難制止，嚴重影響上課品質與氣氛。而且科技已阻礙人性，很多人因沉迷滑手機，濫用網路訊息，反而干擾他們分辨真實訊息。

My comments: If students are educated to be empathetic and respectful, they would not use their cellphone in class.  I firmly believe that character building cannot be over-emphasized when it comes to education.

「別被手機綁架生活」

陳品全說，倡導「無手機日」並不是全面禁止不要用手機，而是像「無車日」一樣，屬於宣導性質，提醒學生不要過度濫用手機，被手機綁架生活。

學生還上台表演、唱作俱佳，引來台下歡聲雷動。像「課程學習與生涯規畫組」學生上台表演和尚念經，諷刺學校老師教書就是「背書、默寫」，學生在台下不是昏昏欲睡，就是滑手機。

吳思華肯定學生自省

吳思華說，這一代高中職生表達能力強、能深刻思考，是推動社會的巨大力量。他常和家長團體說，從世界看台灣，哪些人會被看見？有學者如李遠哲；企業家如施振榮、郭台銘；運動員或樂團蘇打綠。這就是行行出狀元。

對於滑世代提議「無手機日」，吳思華說，「無手機日」象徵高中生的自我反省，但正向鼓勵「如何使用手機」，手機也能變成教學工具，快速掌握資訊。國教署長黃子騰說，社會未有共識前，不宜直接由教育部訂定「無手機日」。

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On January 13 this year, I posted in my blog a poem by Gary Turk advising people to look up from their smartphone.

http://june.ettachou.com/2015/01/13/look-up-a-poem-that-will-inspire-you-to-put-down-your-smartphone/