France to tighten mobile phone ban in schools

France is set to strengthen its ban on mobile phone usage in middle schools, requiring pupils aged 11 to 15 to store their devices in lockers or secure pouches at the start of the school day, only regaining access as they leave.

Education Minister Élisabeth Borne announced in the Senate that the government aims to enforce a complete separation of children from their mobile phones throughout the school day, effective from September, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Borne stated, "At a time when screen use is being widely questioned due to its harmful effects, this measure is crucial for the wellbeing and academic success of our children."

The move builds on a 2018 law which already prohibits mobile phone use in French middle schools (collèges), including during breaks. Phones must be turned off and kept in schoolbags, with no access allowed anywhere on school grounds. Reports indicate that the policy has had a positive impact, promoting increased social interaction, more physical activity, reduced bullying, and improved focus. However, some schools noted instances of students sneaking into toilets to watch videos during break times.

The French government now plans to take this initiative further, implementing a “digital pause” throughout the entire school day. A pilot scheme conducted over the past six months in approximately 100 middle schools, where students were required to place their phones in lockers or locked pouches that could only be unlocked at the school gates, yielded overwhelmingly positive feedback.

The use of mobile phones remains banned in primary schools, with Borne adding that feedback from the trial had been largely favourable, citing improved school atmospheres and strong backing from parents and teachers.

Despite concerns raised by some unions over the cost and logistics of implementing the scheme, Borne assured that it would be up to head teachers to choose the format – whether lockers or pouches – and that the overall cost would not exceed a few thousand euros.

Borne also referenced a recent study by the French National Book Council, which revealed that young people now spend an average of five hours a day in front of screens, compared to just three hours a week with books. She warned that this trend is detrimental to students' success.

A report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron last year also advised that children should not be allowed smartphones until the age of 13 and should not access conventional social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat until they are 18. Macron has expressed his support for measures that limit children's screen time.

These steps come amid growing calls for similar measures in the UK, where the leader of the country’s largest teaching union has advocated for a nationwide ban on phones in schools. A survey of more than 15,000 schools found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools in England already have some form of restriction on mobile phone use.

By Aghakazim Guliyev