On Monday, according to dpa, the Netherlands initiated a nationwide prohibition on mobile phones in schools.
This ban, which started at the beginning of the year in secondary schools, has now been expanded to include primary schools as of the new academic year. The Ministry of Education in The Hague cited that mobile phones are a distraction and impair students' concentration, negatively impacting their learning. However, phones can be used in class if they are integral to the lesson, such as when teaching media skills. Students may also use their phones for medical reasons or disabilities. The responsibility for enforcing this ban has been delegated to the schools. NOS reported that schools that also ban phones during breaks see an improvement in the atmosphere, with researcher Loes Pouwels from Radboud University in Nijmegen noting that breaks become more sociable as students talk more.
The idea of a mobile phone ban in schools has been a topic of debate in the Netherlands. Initially, several education ministers were skeptical about a nationwide policy, and school heads advocated for local regulations. Meanwhile, some parents believe that primary school children should not have smartphones due to the addictive nature of social media. Similar bans have been implemented in Greece and Italy, while Germany has been considering such measures. A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommended the controlled and responsible use of mobile phones in educational settings.
