A long-time president of the German Teachers’ Association (DL), Josef Kraus, advocates for stricter regulation of digital media.
According to a report by Ippen-Media, Kraus expressed his views on the matter, stating, “I’m for a strict ban on smartphones.” He also opposes the use of laptops in the classroom before the 5th or 6th grade. Kraus served as the DL’s president from 1987 to 2017. In his observation, students have changed over the years. “The young people are today less concentrated, in my opinion, due to the new media” Kraus said.
Ahead of the upcoming education ministers’ conference on March 20, discussions are underway among the German federal states regarding the proper handling of digital media. Several politicians, including Hesse’s Minister of Culture, Achim Schwarz of the Christian Democratic Union, have in the past expressed support for a smartphone ban in the classroom.