Daijiworld Media Network – Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Jun 25: The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest school district in the United States, has approved a sweeping policy to curb student screen time in classrooms, including a complete ban for preschool to first-grade students and strict limits for older children.
The policy, approved by the school board on Tuesday, comes amid growing concerns among parents and educators about excessive reliance on digital devices in K-12 education and its impact on learning, social interaction and child development.
Under the new guidelines, screen use will be prohibited in classrooms for students from preschool through first grade beginning in August. From November, daily screen time will be limited to 20 minutes for second and third-grade students and 30 minutes for those in fourth and fifth grades, including homework-related activities.
Middle school students will be allowed up to one hour of screen time per class each week, with a maximum of six hours weekly across subjects. For high school students, the limit will be increased to 1.5 hours per class per week, capped at 10 hours overall.
The district has also decided that students will no longer be required to take school-issued computers home every day.
As part of the policy, access to YouTube, social media platforms and streaming websites will be blocked during the school day. Schools will also be required to minimise students' exposure to advertising and commercial content, ensuring that technology is used strictly for educational purposes.
The move follows sustained pressure from parent groups and education advocates who have argued that excessive screen use is replacing hands-on learning experiences, reducing face-to-face interaction and affecting students' overall development.
School board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced the original resolution in March, described the policy as a landmark reform.
"It's an incredibly robust and groundbreaking document. It is going to be the basis for reform throughout the country, if not the world," Melvoin said.
The new rules are expected to significantly reshape classroom teaching practices across the district, with greater emphasis on traditional learning methods, direct instruction and student engagement beyond digital devices.