The French Government plans to prohibit the use of mobile phones in secondary schools starting in September, as anticipated in the Senate by Education Minister Élisabeth Borne. Students between 11 and 15 years old who bring mobile phones to class will be required to store them in lockers at the beginning of the school day and will only be able to use them at the end of the day.
"At a time when screen use is widely questioned for its harmful effects, this measure is essential for the well-being of our children and their academic success," stated Borne. The use of mobile phones has been prohibited since 2018 in primary schools in France, where they cannot even be used during recess. During the current school year, a pilot program has started in a hundred secondary schools to assess the effects of the "digital pause" on students over 11 years old.
The "experiment" has had a positive impact on both performance and the overall well-being of students, according to educational authorities, and the measure will be extended generally next academic year. Students will have to store their mobile phones in their school lockers or hand them over to be temporarily stored in secure places under electronic surveillance.
"All the feedback we have received from the experiment has been positive: from the improvement of the school environment to the support of parents and teachers," stated the education minister. However, teacher unions have requested more clarity on the logistics and cost of implementing a "digital pause" in secondary schools, although Élisabeth Borne assured that it will not exceed "a few thousand euros."
Borne mentioned a recent study by the National Council of Books, warning that French children and adolescents spend up to five hours a day in front of a screen and only three hours a week in front of a book. Additionally, a report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron concluded that the use of smartphones should be banned until the age of 13 and conventional access to social networks like Instagram and TikTok until the age of 18.