United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.
It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organizations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNESCO’s Headquarters are located in Paris and the Organization has more than 50 field offices around the world.
Objectives
Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning
Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development
Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges
Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace
Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication
Focuses on global priority areas - “Africa” and “Gender Equality”.
Impact of Smartphones in School
UNESCO has cautioned against an uncritical rush to adopt digital products in educational settings, highlighting a lack of robust evidence on digital technology's added value in education.
The report cited examples of biased studies funded by companies promoting their products and emphasized the negative impact of excessive screen time on a child's educational performance and emotional stability.
The Global Education Monitoring Report, 2023, titled "Technology in education: a tool on whose terms?", endorsed banning smartphones in schools where technology integration does not improve learning or worsens student well-being.
Research studies indicated that banning mobile phones from schools can improve academic performance, especially for low-performing students.
Excessive screen time was associated with poorer well-being, reduced curiosity, self-control, and emotional stability, higher anxiety, and depression diagnoses among young people aged two to 17.
The report highlighted the higher costs of implementing digital infrastructure for basic education, exacerbating unequal access in low-income countries.
Data privacy concerns were raised, as children's data were being exposed without sufficient protection in most countries.
The indiscriminate use of digital technology in education risked infringing on children's rights, and many governments did not provide adequate data privacy protection.
The report urged governments to prioritize learners when making decisions about the use of digital technology and emphasized the need for child data protection laws and accountability mechanisms tailored to children.
COMMENTS