A recently published UN report highlights concerns about excessive smartphone use in schools. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), excessive cell phone use impacts learning. In the “Global Education Monitoring Report, Summary, 2023: Technology in Education: A Tool in the Service of Whom?,”UNESCO emphasizes the need for a “human-centered approach.”

According to the UN agency, digital technology should be used as a tool and not as a substitute for human interaction.

UNESCO’s Director of Monitoring, Manos Antoninis, also warned of the danger of data breaches in educational technology, since only 16% of countries guarantee data privacy in education by law. He explains that large amounts of data are being used without adequate regulation, which could lead to their use for non-educational purposes, thereby violating rights.

Brazil

The report lists findings from countries such as Brazil, Cambodia, Malawi, and Mexico, suggesting that children lost at least one year of learning. The longer schools remained closed, the greater the impact on learning losses.

UNESCO suggests standards for connecting schools to the internet between now and 2030 and that the focus remain on the most marginalized. The UN agency also recommends that countries establish their own guidelines for the use of technology to ensure that it complements in-person instruction, which remains crucial for learning.

According to the survey, there were at most 10 computers for every 100 students in Brazil and Morocco. In Luxembourg, however, there were 160 computers for every 100 students.

Regulations

In Brazil, 31% of adults had at least basic skills, but the rate was twice as high in urban areas as in rural areas, three times higher among those in the labor force than among those not in the labor force, and nine times higher in the highest socioeconomic group than in the two lowest groups.

In addition to inequalities, UNESCO also warns of the risks associated with the procurement of educational technology, which must be taken into account in regulatory frameworks. Public procurement is vulnerable to collusion and corruption.

According to the report, in 2019, Brazil’s Office of the Comptroller General found irregularities in the electronic bidding process for the purchase of 1.3 million computers, laptops, and notebooks for state and municipal public schools.

UNESCO recommends decentralizing public procurement to local governments in an effort to mitigate some of the risks

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Technology gaps

The report also highlights the disparities created by digital learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 500 million students worldwide were left behind due to the shift to online learning, which primarily affected the poorest students and those living in rural areas.

Geographically, the document noted a significant imbalance in online resources, with Europe and North America being disproportionately represented.

In assessing the potential for inclusion through the use of technology, the study found that in the 27 countries of the European Union, 54% of adults had at least basic digital skills in 2021.

Source: UN News

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