Which European countries have banned or want to restrict the use of smartphones in schools. Data as of January 1, 2025

In some countries, there is an ongoing debate about restricting the use of gadgets among schoolchildren. For example, the use of phones is suggested only to support learning. Such measures have been implemented in more than 60 countries.

According to the data, smartphones can distract children while they study. Euronews has compiled the countries that have banned the use of gadgets in schools and those that are planning to introduce such an initiative.

France

In this country, mobile phones have been banned in primary and secondary schools since 2018. This year, the government went further to restrict gadgets in nearly 200 educational institutions as part of a "digital break" test. This meant that 50,000 students could not use their phones during the entire school day.

United Kingdom

This year in England, the Ministry of Education issued non-legislative guidelines to ban the use of smartphones during school hours. According to a survey, the public supports the introduction of such an initiative in schools.

Netherlands

A ban on the use of smartphones for other than learning purposes came into force in the Netherlands in January 2024 for primary and secondary schools. According to the data, this applies to smartwatches and tablets in educational institutions, as gadgets can lead to poor academic performance and problems with concentration in students. However, there are exceptions for students with disabilities.

Italy

The use of cell phones in the classroom is prohibited, even for educational purposes in preschools and secondary schools. However, there is an exception if the gadgets are needed to support individualized education or students with disabilities.

Hungary

In September 2024, Hungary introduced a nationwide ban on phones in schools.

Spain

In this country, the use of smartphones in schools is regulated by regions. Thus, about seven of them have introduced a policy that allows the use of gadgets during school.

Ireland

Ireland is working to create a way to store phones in educational institutions to introduce a nationwide ban on the use of gadgets during school. It is planned to create a unified policy throughout the school system to achieve this goal.

Sweden

In Sweden, it is forbidden to use cell phones in classrooms for other than educational purposes. The decision on this issue is made by the school management. At the same time, the Health Authority has provided recommendations for screen time. Thus, children under two years old should not use any digital media, and older children should have restrictions.

Belgium

The French-speaking community of Belgium, known as the Walloon-Brussels Federation, has decided to ban the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices in schools starting in the 2025/2026 school year. Valerie Glatigny, the community's education minister, said in a statement that the ban aimed to improve students' attention spans and create a healthier learning environment.

Greece

Starting this school year, students in Greece are required to keep their cell phones in their bags during class.

Latvia

Starting May 31, 2025, students in Latvia will no longer be allowed to use cell phones until the 6th grade. However, there may be exceptions when gadgets are needed as part of the learning process.

Luxembourg

From Easter 2025, smartphones will be banned in primary school for children under the age of 11. For secondary school students, there should be a certain distance, which implies additional restrictions.

Finland

The Finnish government is planning to make changes so that students will be able to use phones only for studying.

Where else are bans considered and are they effective

Many European countries are considering some form of restriction on smartphone use in schools, including Denmark, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Portugal.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 found that banning school phone use is effective in reducing distractions in class.

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