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Smatphones are banned in Brazilian Schools

Brazil’s president has signed a law to limit smartphone use in schools, starting in February. This rule will apply to elementary and high schools across the country. Phones will only be allowed in emergencies, for educational activities, or for students with disabilities. The goal is to help students focus better and reduce distractions caused by phones.

Officials explained that children are using the internet at younger ages, which makes it harder for parents to monitor them. Limiting smartphones at school can help students concentrate on studying. A recent survey found that nearly two-thirds of Brazilians support banning smartphones in schools, and over threequarters believe these devices are harmful for kids.

Some families and students agree with the move, saying it will encourage more interaction and help classmates focus better. However, others believe it won’t solve all school issues, like bullying and harassment.

As of 2023, about two-thirds of Brazilian schools already limit smartphone use, while 28% ban them completely. Some states, such as Rio de Janeiro and Goias, have passed local laws restricting phones in schools, but enforcement has been challenging. In Sao Paulo, discussions are ongoing about banning phones in both public and private schools.

Globally, concerns ______________ smartphone use ______________ children have led to similar measures. Countries ______________ China, France, and parts of the U.S. have introduced restrictions to reduce distractions and protect children’s mental health. A report ______________ UNESCO found that one in four countries has already limited smartphone use in schools.

Adapted from: https://en.islcollective.com

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Palestinians in Gaza Reflect on One Year of Israel’s War With Hamas Oct. 7, 2024

The war has killed tens of thousands and devastated entire cities, leaving many in Gaza without a home and fueling a humanitarian catastrophe.

By Bilal Shbair and Hiba Yazbek Reporting from the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.

Last October, Fadi Abu Kheir of southern Gaza had big plans. He was going to be engaged to the woman he loved. After they got married, he said, they would move in together, into an apartment that he spent years building.

“Now,” Mr. Abu Kheir, 24, said, “I am clueless about my future. I cannot even think how I can adapt to life postwar.”

It has been a year since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks impelled Israel to launch a retaliatory offensive in Gaza. For Mr. Abu Kheir — and, indeed, for Palestinians across the enclave — every day since, he said, has teemed with “sadness, depression and fury.”

The war has killed over 41,000 people, according to Gazan health officials, and devastated entire neighborhoods and cities, leaving hundreds of thousands without a home and fueling a humanitarian catastrophe.

More than 2 million people lived in the strip before the conflict. No one has been unaffected.

“We were so happy before this war,” said Maisaa al-Naffar, 20, of Khan Younis, breaking into tears as she recalled her first few weeks as a newlywed before the war began. She added: “I am not the person I used to be.”

Nine months pregnant, she is sheltering in a tent in southern Gaza.

“I miss my old life. I miss the days when we used to have fun or laugh at even the smallest things.

I miss my life when we had enough healthy food and snacks,”

Ms. al-Naffar said. “Today, everything has become a hell, full of dust and darkness.” 

Throughout the enclave, similar stories abound. For Mr. Abu Kheir, the image from the war that lingers is that of a naked, lifeless woman lying in the street, blown out of a house that had been bombarded, he said. The conflict has killed two of his best friends, and displaced him and his family, he said. It also destroyed the apartment he was building, in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The war, he said, has “destroyed my dreams.”