The Netherlands bans mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches from classrooms to reduce distractions unless electronic devices are much needed by students.
On Tuesday, the Dutch Ministry of Education said the ban will be implemented from January 1, 2024. Exceptions will be made for lessons about digital skills, or if students with disabilities or other medical conditions need the devices.
The ban was agreed upon by the Ministry of Education, schools, and other relevant organizations.
Dutch Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf mentioned that mobile phones do not belong in the classroom, even though they are "intertwined to our lives".
"Students need to be able to concentrate and need to be given the opportunity to study well. Mobile phones are a disturbance, scientific research shows. We need to protect students against this," he added in a statement.
Dijkgraaf stated that schools will be given space to implement the ban according to their plans, but warned that legal rules will apply if the ban is not implemented by the summer of 2024.
The Dutch decision follows a similar decision in Finland announced last week.
In Germany, only the state of Bavaria officially banned mobile phones in schools until the last academic year, when the ban was eased.
German freedom laws generally run counter to bans on cell phones, although schools are free to make their regulations.
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