E-technologies and e-monitoring in education: comparative practices in the UK, Ireland, Slovenia and the US

The integration of e-technologies in education increasingly extends beyond teaching and learning into monitoring and controlling student behaviour. This paper compares the legal and institutional frameworks of e-monitoring in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Slovenia and the US. It highlights examples from medical schools in the UK and Ireland, where attendance apps and digital tracking are enforced, as well as recent legislative moves in Slovenia that introduce policies on the use of electronic devices in primary schools. It also examines a market-return- based US product enabling mobile signal blockage in school environments. Through an analysis of these cases, the paper discusses the implications for the quality of education, student well-being, teacher–student relationships, and the broader socio-ethical consequences of digital surveillance in educational environments.