site.btaEducation Minister Warns that Children Waste Much Time on Smart Devices

Minister of Education and Science Krasimir Valchev told reporters here on Thursday that children's dependence on phones and screens is a significant problem. Commenting on proposed amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act that would have the use of mobile phones banned during classes, Valchev said that many schools have already implemented partial or full bans on mobile phones, however, the bigger problem takes place outside school.

Valchev called on parents to limit their children's use of smart devices as much as possible. He said: "We must talk about this issue, because when something is harmful, attention must be paid. Screens should be used for educational purposes, not to kill concentration. Children and students waste a lot of time online, thus losing time for acquiring other skills."

According to Valchev, the main challenges facing the education system remain the integration of children and the acquisition of functional literacy. In his words, the culture of learning must be changed. He stated: "We have good results up to fourth grade, but there are problems in the higher grades, and this is due to the [overly] ambitious curricula." He said that it is important for students to understand what they are taught.