Phone bans are gaining ground in schools worldwide

All over the world, parents and experts are concerned about the harmful effects of smartphone use on young people. To limit these effects, some are campaigning for cell phones to be banned from school premises. Some countries have taken the plunge, while others are reluctant to adopt a zero-tolerance policy.

New Zealand recently banned the use of smartphones in schools. As of May 1, students have had to leave their phones switched off in their bags or lockers during school hours. Parents can contact their children via school staff if necessary.

This measure was one of the campaign pledges of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, who sees it as a way of promoting academic success for as many students as possible. Supporters of the ban believe that cell phones have no place in schools, as they are a major source of distraction for pupils. Their use also accounts for a significant proportion of incivilities and disturbances in schools, particularly online bullying. However, some question the feasibility of such a ban.

Other countries have already implemented similar initiatives in schools. In Australia, the use of cellphones is banned in all state schools, as well as in many Catholic and independent schools across the country. In Europe too, students are asked not to use their smartphones during school hours in France, Portugal, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands and parts of Spain. However, mobiles are authorized for educational purposes, under the supervision of teachers.

Italy has long adopted a similar policy, but Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara announced in February that phones and tablets must not be used for teaching purposes in the future. The ban applies to the country’s nursery schools, elementary schools and middle schools, according to Euronews.

Mixed conclusions from scientific research

Generally speaking, the trend is towards systematically banning smartphones from schools. One in four countries worldwide has passed laws banning the use of cell phones in classrooms, according to the 2023 edition of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report. The international organization highlights the negative impact of excessive cell phone use on students’ attention and learning capacities, based on the findings of recent OECD surveys.

However, while countless studies have been conducted to measure the effects of screens on young people’s behavior and academic performance, little attention has been paid in scientific literature to the presumed effectiveness of policies banning cell phones from schools. Marilyn Campbell and Elizabeth J Edwards from the University of Queensland, Australia, examined the findings of 22 research studies on the subject. They concluded that “the evidence for banning mobile phones in schools is weak and inconclusive,” in an article posted on The Conversation.

But Sara Abrahamsson, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, came to the opposite conclusion. Among other things, she found that Norwegian girls who attend schools with phone bans have less need to access care for psychological disorders than those who do not.

She also found a link between academic results and smartphones. This led the researcher to assert that “banning smartphones from the classroom is an inexpensive tool with sizable effects on students’ mental health and educational outcomes.” – AFP Relaxnews