France to Trial Phone Ban in Schools

France is set to launch a trial program aimed at banning mobile phones in schools for students under the age of 15, with the goal of providing children with a "digital detox." 

The trial, announced today, will begin in January if proven successful.

The initiative will involve nearly 200 secondary schools, where students will be required to hand over their phones upon arrival.

This measure extends the 2018 law, which prohibited the use of phones within school buildings but allowed students to keep them in their possession.

Acting Education Minister Nicole Belloubet introduced the trial, emphasizing the need to give young people a break from digital exposure.

Should the trial yield positive results, the ban will be implemented nationwide starting in January.

Concerns over the excessive screen time among children have been highlighted by a committee formed by President Emmanuel Macron.

The committee's 140-page report, published in March, detailed the negative impact of digital devices on children's health, including issues related to sleep, physical inactivity, and an increased risk of obesity.

The report also raised alarms about the broader societal and cultural implications of excessive digital consumption.

The committee recommended a phased approach to managing children's mobile phone use: no phones before age 11, mobile phones without internet access between ages 11 and 13, and internet-enabled phones with restricted access to social media until age 15.

It also advised against exposing children under three to digital devices, which it deemed unnecessary for healthy development.

The debate over mobile phone bans in schools is not new in Europe. Countries that have implemented such bans often limit usage rather than requiring students to surrender their devices.

In Germany, while no official restrictions exist, most schools have banned mobile phone use in classrooms, except for educational purposes.

The Netherlands introduced a near-total ban in secondary school classrooms at the beginning of the year, though it remains a recommendation rather than a legal mandate.

Italy was among the first to impose a mobile phone ban in schools in 2007, which was later relaxed in 2017 before being reimposed in 2022, covering all age groups.

In February of this year, the UK government issued guidelines encouraging schools to ban mobile phone use throughout the school day, leaving the final decision to individual school leaders.

Portugal is experimenting with a middle-ground approach, offering several phone-free days each month in schools, while certain autonomous regions in Spain have implemented local bans, though no nationwide policy is in place.

As France moves forward with its trial, the results could influence future policies across Europe regarding children's access to mobile phones in educational settings.