Should smartphones be banned in schools?

Do smartphones help support learning in classrooms or are they a distraction that harms education? A growing number of governments have implemented restrictions on the use of smartphones in schools. Even without nationwide bans, many schools collect phones at the start of the day or insist on children keeping them in lockers during lesson time. Are the bans justified? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford speaks to two educators on opposing sides of the debate: Matt Miles, an American teacher and co-author of “Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber” and Damian Maher, a senior lecturer from University of Technology Sydney, who backs the use of smartphones in schools.

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Everything you need to know about teaching and learning in one podcast. Top Class, the OECD Education Podcast, interviews leading educators, researchers and policy experts about the big issues facing education systems around the world. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed and arguments employed on the "TopClass" podcast and the recordings contained therein do not necessarily represent the official views of the OECD, its member countries, or non-members who have participated in any related work. This site may display third party videos or recordings. The inclusion of such videos or recordings does not imply any endorsement of, or responsibility for, the opinions, ideas, or information presented in these videos. The "TopClass" podcast is subject to the Disclaimers section of the General Terms and Conditions of the OECD website. http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/