Reasons why children use tablets at convenience stores late at night: Burden of communication charges, bullying tools Pointed out by a night watch teacher

　Tablets are being introduced in educational settings. Osamu Mizutani, an educator who goes by the name of "Mr. Night Watch", pointed out that "bullying has become a tool" and that "communication charges are a burden on families" as problems, and called for "the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to reconsider distributing tablets." Mr. Mizutani, who actually interacted with children doing their homework using the free Wi-Fi of convenience stores through the "night watch", spoke about the reality of "putting the cart before the horse."

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In November of last year, in Machida City, Tokyo, a 6th grade elementary school girl took her own life, leaving a suicide note complaining of bullying. Parents are complaining that bullying in tablet device chat, which the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is now trying to expand its use to elementary and junior high school students nationwide, may have been a factor.

　I have always objected to the premature spread of tablets as a means of distributing tablets to elementary and junior high school students, digitizing textbooks, remote classes, teachers, and communicating with friends. bottom.

One is that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology distributes general-purpose tablets to children. In the case of a general-purpose tablet, there is a limit to its communication limit, it may be possible to enter dangerous sites, and by using SNS freely, there is a risk that it will be used as a tool for bullying etc. like this time. . Also, I used to be a public school teacher, so I know how neglected education is in schools regarding internet literacy, internet etiquette, and the dangers associated with it. Under these circumstances, distributing general-purpose tablets to students may be a harsh way of saying it, but I think it is the same as giving a child a sword or a pistol. This problem would not have arisen if it had been specialized for remote classes, digital texts, and the use of SNS where administrators can check everything, such as the tablets distributed by some cram schools.

　There is also the problem of communication charges. Even in Japan today, not all households have built a communication network like the households of officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Even if a tablet is handed over free of charge and a router for communication is lent, the communication fee will be protected in the case of households on welfare or school protection, but in other households, they will pay for it themselves. have to pay.

　The other day, I went on a "night patrol" in a local town. After 11:00 p.m., a dozen elementary and junior high school students were sitting in the parking lot of a convenience store in town, fiddling with mobile phones and tablets. Half of them were playing games, while the rest were doing their schoolwork and assignments on tablets. When I listened to their stories, they said that communication charges are a big burden on their families, and that convenience stores have free Wi-Fi, so they study there.

　The distribution of tablets, which the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is promoting hastily and without preparation, is driving children into such a dangerous situation. It's putting the cart before the horse.

　I would like the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to stop distributing tablets once, investigate all the problems that occurred in the past year and a half, solve them, and then proceed again. If this continues, we will have another big problem.