Should smartphones be banned at school? 學校應該禁止孩子帶智能手機嗎？

新學期開始之後，很多剛剛度過暑假的學生會帶著智能手機重返校園。研究顯示，現在有很多小學生都有自己的手機，但說到底，這種新時代的產物究竟是幫助學習和交流的絕佳工具，還是會大大分散孩子們的註意力？

文字稿

According to Internet Matters, around 72 per cent of children in Year 7 now have a smartphone. Of the 2,000 parents surveyed by the group, almost 60 per cent believe pupils shouldn’t carry the device with them during the day, although 49 per cent were in favour of children being allowed to bring phones to and from school.

據英國非盈利機構 Internet Matters 稱，現有約72%的七年級（相當於國內的初一）兒童有智能手機。在該組織調查的兩千名傢長中，幾乎60%都認為小學生不應該整天隨身攜帶該設備，雖然有49%贊成學校應允許孩子們帶手機上下學。

In France, the government has intervened, approving a total ban on mobile use for pupils up to the age of 15. But here, some head teachers allow the controlled use of smartphones in class, maintaining that with budgets under constant pressure, they’re an invaluable supplementary learning tool.

法國政府已參與此事，通過瞭一項完全禁止十五歲以下小學生使用手機的法令。但在英國，一些校長允許學生在課上適當地使用智能手機，並堅稱在預算長期吃緊的情況下，手機是一件非常寶貴的補充學習工具。

1. 詞匯表

device 設備
in favour 贊同
intervened 幹預瞭，幹涉瞭
ban 禁令
controlled use 有節制的使用
maintaining 堅稱

supplementary 補充的

2. 閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。

1. True or false? More than half of parents surveyed thought pupils should have their smartphones with them during the day.

2. What did 49 per cent of parents surveyed agree with?

3. When can pupils at French schools use their smartphones?

4. Why might school budgets in the UK mean head teachers allow smartphones to be used in class?

3. 答案

1. True or false? More than half of parents surveyed thought pupils should have their smartphones with them during the day.
False. Of the 2,000 parents surveyed, almost 60 per cent (more than half) believe pupils shouldn’t carry the device with them during the day.

2. What did 49 per cent of parents surveyed agree with?
49 per cent of parents surveyed were in favour of children being allowed to bring phones to and from school.

3. When can pupils at French schools use their smartphones?
They can only use them outside school because the French government has approved a total ban on mobile use for pupils up to the age of 15.

4. Why might school budgets in the UK mean head teachers allow smartphones to be used in class?
Some head teachers say budgets are under constant pressure – so they are limited and always being controlled so there is not much spare money to provide equipment.