Ukuvinjwa Kwefoni Esikoleni: Lokho Okukhombisa Ubufakazi Ngemuva KweWave Yokuqala

Ngonyaka ka-2023 no-2024, ukuvinjwa kwefoni okwenziwa ezweni kwaduma ezikoleni: iFrance yandise inqubomgomo yayo ekhona, i-Australia yaphasisa umthetho wombuso, iNgilandi yathuthukisa imihlahlandlela, kanti izifunda zase-US ezivela eFlorida zaya e-Indiana zaphasisa imithetho yokuvinjelwa kwefoni ezclassroom. Ngonyaka ka-2025, cishe amazwe angama-40 abekwe emthethweni owodwa noma olunye uhlobo lokuvinjelwa kwefoni esikoleni.

Izigaba zokuqala zedatha emva kokuvinjelwa manje zikhona. Imiphumela ayifani — incike kakhulu endleleni yokuthi ukuvinjelwa kwenziwa ngayo — kodwa icacile ngokwanele ukusho okuthile okuhle ngalezo zinto eziphathwa yifoni kubafundi nokuthi kwenzekani uma zikhishwa.

Kungani ukuvinjelwa kwenzeka: ubufakazi obukhuthazayo

Umzamo wezepolitiki wawuholwa ukuhlanganiswa kobufakazi obuphendukile bube nokuhlangana okukhulu kakhulu ukuze kunganqandeki. Ucwaningo lweLondon School of Economics lwango-2023 olwenziwa nguBeland noMurphy luthole ukuthi ukuvinjwa kwefoni ezikoleni kuthuthukise amaphuzu ezivivinyo kubafundi abaphumelele kancane ngo-14.23% — ngaphandle kokuthinta abafundi abaphumelele kakhulu, okukhombisa ukuthi ukufinyelela kumafoni kubangela ubuhlungu kakhulu kulabo abangakakwazi ukuzilawula. Umphumela wawukhulu kakhulu kubafundi abavela emakhaya angaphansi.

Ngokuhlanganyela, idatha yezempilo yengqondo yentsha eyashicilelwa abacwaningi abafaka uJean Twenge noJonathan Haidt ibonise ukwehla okukhulu empilweni yentsha — ukukhula kokudangala, ukukhathazeka, nokuhlukumezeka — kube nokuguquka okuthile phakathi kuka-2012 no-2013, kuhambisana nokwamukelwa kabanzi kwe-smartphone. Incwadi kaHaidt ka-2024 ethi <em>The Anxious Generation</em> ihlanganise lezi zinto futhi yaba umgqugquzeli wezinyathelo zepolitiki ezweni eliningi.

Izindlela azifani. Ukusebenza kwezemfundo kuphazamiseka ngenxa yokuphazamiseka nokushintsha kwemisebenzi — amafoni ezikoleni aphazamisa ukunakwa ngisho noma engasetshenziswa ngqo. Impilo yengqondo iphazamiseka ngezindlela ezihlukene: ukuqhathaniswa komphakathi, ukushintshwa kokulala nokuzivocavoca, kanye nezimo zokuklomelisa eziguquguqukayo zemidiya yokuxhumana ezinamandla ikakhulukazi ngesikhathi sentsha.

Lokhu okukhonjiswa idatha emva kokwenqaba

<strong>Ukusebenza kwezemfundo.</strong> Izikole e-UK ezafaka imithetho eqinile yokuvimbela amafoni — amadivayisi apagadiwe futhi agcinwe, hhayi nje athulisiwe ezikhwameni — zikhombise ukuthuthuka okuqhubekayo ezingeni lokuhlola, ikakhulukazi kubafundi abaphansi. Umbiko we-UNESCO ka-2024 ohlola idatha evela ezweni eziningi uthole imiphumela emihle eqhubekayo eziphumeleni zemfundo lapho imithetho ibekwe, nemiphumela eqinile kakhulu ezikoleni zamabanga aphakeme.

Ikhwalithi yokuphumelelisa ibaluleke kakhulu kunezimo zomthetho. Izikole ezidinga amafoni agcinwe ezikhwameni noma ezikhaleni zaphumelela kakhulu kunezikole ezinezimiso "zokuthula ezikhwameni." Izindleko zokucabanga zefoni aziveli kuphela ekusebenzeni okusebenzayo — ukuvela kwedivayisi eduze kugcina ukuqaphela okuphansi okuth consuming izinsiza zokucabanga (kuhambisana nemiphumela ye-Ward et al. ka-2017).

<strong>Ukuziphatha komphakathi nokuphila kahle.</strong> Lapha idatha ihluke kakhulu kodwa iyahambisana. Izikole eziningi e-UK nase-Australia zibalile ukuthi abafundi basebenzisa izikhawu zokukhuluma ub face-to-face, ukwenza imisebenzi yomzimba, nokudlala okungahlelwanga ngaphezulu ngemva kokususa amafoni. Izimo zokuhlukumeza — ikakhulukazi ukuhlukumeza nge-inthanethi, okwandisa phakathi nezikhathi zesikole ngezingxoxo zeqembu — zehla ezikoleni ezinomthetho ophelele wokususa amafoni.

Imibiko yabafundi ihluke: abafundi abaningi bathi bayawafisa amafoni abo phakathi nezikhathi zesikole, kodwa inani elikhulu libika ukuthi bazizwa bengakhathazeki futhi bekhona. Ucwaningo lwe-2025 olwenziwe yiCommon Sense Media luthole ukuthi u-61% wabafundi ezikoleni ezinomthetho oqinile wokuvimbela baphawula ukuthi baphila "bengakhathazeki kakhulu" phakathi nezikhathi zesikole, kanti u-34% baphawula "baziwa kakhulu." Zombili lezi zimpumelelo zibonakala ziqinile.

<strong>Isipiliyoni sothisha.</strong> Ukuthuthukiswa okujwayelekile okubikwe. Othisha ezindaweni ezinamathuba okukhuluma baphawula njalo ukuthi kukhona ukwanda kokubandakanywa ekilasini, ukuncipha kwezinkinga zokuziphatha, kanye nomoya ohlukile phakathi kwezifundo. Ukuncipha kokuziphatha okungahambisani (ukusebenzisa amafoni ng secretly) kubonakala kuthinta izindinganiso zekhasi ngendlela ezuzisa abafundi ngaphezu kwemiphumela yokugxila okusheshayo.

Imibono ephikisanayo — nokuthi ibamba kanjani

<strong>"Abafundi badinga amafoni ukuze babe nephephile."</strong> Lokhu kuyisiphakamiso esithinta imizwa kakhulu. Impendulo evela ezinhlelweni eziningi zokuphatha ukuthi izikole zingagcina ukuxhumana okuphuthumayo ngezikhalazo ezikhona (ama-telefoni ehhovisi, ukuxhumana okwenziwa abasebenzi) ngenkathi zigcina amadivayisi abafundi. Akukho bufakazi obukhombisa ukuthi ukuvinjwa kwamafoni kube nomthelela ekuphenduleni okuphuthumayo. Empeleni, le mbono yokuphepha ivame ukusebenza njengomfanekiso wokuthanda kwabazali kunokuba kube nesikhala sokuphepha esibhalwe phansi.

<strong>"Ukuvinjwa akufundisi ukuzibamba."</strong> Lokhu kuyisikhundla esihambisanayo sokufundisa kodwa okungaqondi kahle imibhalo yokuthuthukiswa. Ukuzilawula akuyona ikhono elithuthukiswa ngokubhekana nokuhlukumezeka — kuthuthukiswa ngokuphindaphindiwe kokuzama ukuphumelela kokulawula ezimweni ezilula. Ukususwa kwefoni esikoleni kudala isimo esilawulwayo lapho ezinye izakhono zokuzilawula zingathuthukiswa. Le mbono izosebenza ngokufanayo nokungafaki imishini yokudlala ezikoleni ngenxa yokuthi abafundi badinga ukuzijwayeza ukuvuma.

<strong>"Akukhulumi ngempela ngenkinga eyinhloko."</strong> Kuyiqiniso, futhi akukho mphakathi othembekile ophikisa lokhu. Ukwenqaba kukhuluma ngendawo ethile — amahora esikole — ngaphakathi kwesimo esikhulu sokusetshenziswa kwefoni. Ubufakazi buveza njalo ukuthi le miphumela engaphelele inezinzuzo ezibalulekile, futhi izixazululo ezingaphelele ezinebufakazi obuqinile zifanele ukufakwa ngisho noma izixazululo ezinkulu zifunwa.

Lokhu kusitshela ngokuqhubeka kokusebenzisa ifoni kwabantu abadala

Ucwaningo lwezokwenqaba esikoleni lukhanyisa okuthile okukhulu: imiphumela ebhalwe ezclassroom — ukuncipha kokusebenza kwengqondo, ukunakwa okuphazamisekile, ukungabambisani kahle — akukhona okwakha kuphela ebusheni. Izifundo zikaWard nabanye zikhombisa izindleko ezifanayo zokusebenza kwengqondo kubantu abadala. Umehluko ukuthi abantu abadala banomqondo wokukhetha futhi abanakho amandla angaphandle okwakha isimo esivikelwe.

Ucwaningo lwezikhungo zesikole luyisivivinyo esikhulu sokuthi kwenzekani uma ifoni isuswa endaweni ethile isikhathi esithile. Imiphumela — ukuthola ukugxila okungcono, ukuxhumana okungcono, ukuncipha kokukhathazeka — ifana nalokho abantu abadala abakubika ngemva kwezikhathi zabo zokusebenzisa ifoni kancane. Umsebenzi ungowokufana; kodwa indlela yokuphumeza iyahluka.

Kubantu abadala, lokho kusho ukuthi indlela ephumelela kakhulu yokuvinjelwa kwefoni esikoleni akuyona amandla — kodwa kuyindlela yokwakheka kwemvelo. Izikhathi zokusebenza ngaphandle kwefoni lapho ifoni ingekho, ukudla ngaphandle kwezinsiza, amagumbi okulala angenafoni. Ucwaningo lwezikhungo zesikole lunikeza ubufakazi obucacile bezinga labantu bokuthi ukususwa (hhayi nje umqondo wokusebenzisa kancane) kuyinto edala izinzuzo zokucabanga nezokuxhumana.

Okulandelayo kuyini

Ingxoxo yomthetho izoqhubeka. Ubufakazi bokuqala buhambisana kahle ukuze kulindelwe ukuthi amazwe amaningi azohamba phambili ekwenzeni imithetho yokuvimbela ezikoleni kuze kube ngu-2026 nangaphezulu. Umbuzo onzima — okumele kwenziwe ngokuqhubeka kokusebenzisa ucingo ngaphandle kwezikhathi zesikole — usaqhubeka ungaphenduliwe ngumbono wezomthetho futhi uphonsa emindenini nasezindaweni zabantu ngabanye.

Ucwaningo lwezivimbelo zesikole aluphenduli ukuthi abantu ngabanye kufanele benze kanjani ngokuqhubeka kokusebenzisa ucingo lwabo. Kodwa lunikeza ubufakazi obuhlukile bokuthi ukususa idivayisi endaweni ethile isikhathi esinqunyiwe kwenza kanjani kumqondo, ukuziphatha komphakathi, nokuphila kahle. Impendulo, njalo, ukuthi kuthuthukisa konke okuthathu.

Sources

1. Beland, L.P., & Murphy, R. (2016). Ill Communication: Technology, distraction & student performance. Labour Economics, 41, 61–76.
2. UNESCO (2023). Technology in education: A tool on whose terms? Global Education Monitoring Report.
3. Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.
4. Ward, A.F., et al. (2017). Brain drain: the mere presence of one's own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140–154.
5. Common Sense Media (2025). Teens and school phone bans: attitudes and reported outcomes. Common Sense Media Research.