Netherlands Bans Phone in Schools

The Netherlands’ schools have instituted a nationwide ban on mobile phones starting today.

This new policy extends a previous restriction, which had already been in place in secondary schools since the beginning of the year, to include primary schools as well, marking the start of the new academic year.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Education in The Hague, mobile phones are a significant distraction for students and hinder their ability to concentrate, negatively impacting educational performance.

The use of mobile phones may be permitted in classrooms only when necessary for educational content, such as learning media skills.

Additionally, exceptions are made for students who need phones for medical reasons or disabilities. Schools are tasked with enforcing this ban on their premises.

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that schools that had already implemented mobile phone bans during break times saw an improvement in the overall school environment.

Researcher Luus Pouls from Radboud University Nijmegen noted that break times have become more social as students interact more with each other without the distraction of mobile phones.