LettersA phone-free policy will work only if students help create it
Readers call on Hong Kong schools to balance setting boundaries with engagement, praise a local production of Bizet’s Carmen, and voice a wish for a better future
Many schools already ask students to switch devices off or keep them away, but the Maryknoll case stands out because it goes further by banning phone use for Form 3 and 4 students on campus, storing devices in lockers and imposing four demerits and possible confiscation for violations. The school’s intention is clear: to reduce distraction, encourage self-discipline and cut down theft. Yet students argue that the policy arrived without enough consultation, was unreasonable and could make it harder to reach family in an emergency.
As an educator, I understand both sides. The evidence on smartphones is mixed: they connect students to information and support networks, but they also fuel distraction, deepen social‑media‑related anxiety and encourage what researchers call “continuous partial attention”.
In Hong Kong, where students already spend long hours on screens, a school that deliberately carves out a device‑free zone can create rare space for focus, conversation and presence. Just walk through the MTR in the morning and you will see how many students arrive at school already mentally “glued” to their phones, their attention frayed before the first lesson even begins.