News Lesson: Phone Bans in Schools (B2)
Read about the global trend of banning phones in schools and fill the gaps.
Over the past few years, banning phones in schools has gone from an unusual idea to a global trend. According to UNESCO, 114 education systems now have a national ban or on phones in schools.
France led the way in 2018, when it banned phones for students up to the age of 15. The Netherlands followed in 2024, and in 2025 Finland, Brazil, Ireland, Austria and Portugal all introduced national rules. South Korea's new law in March 2026 and gives teachers the legal right to devices during school hours. Sweden is also bringing in a ban, partly because of falling reading skills. In Germany, by contrast, each state decides for itself.
People who are bans argue that smartphones are designed to be and that constant notifications damage students' . They believe a ban will protect students' mental health and and encourage them to talk face to face again. Chile's education minister put it simply: children "need to see each other's faces again."
However, the is not as clear as many people expected. In May 2026, the largest study so far, covering around 4,600 American schools, found results. Bans had little effect on test scores or attendance, although students' wellbeing improved slightly and teachers reported fewer distractions.
Critics also raise practical . Rules are hard to , and many parents want their children to be in an emergency. In South Korea, some youth groups argued that the law treats students as people to control rather than citizens with rights. Even so, the trend shows no sign of slowing down, and more countries, including Poland, are planning their own bans.
France led the way in 2018, when it banned phones for students up to the age of 15. The Netherlands followed in 2024, and in 2025 Finland, Brazil, Ireland, Austria and Portugal all introduced national rules. South Korea's new law in March 2026 and gives teachers the legal right to devices during school hours. Sweden is also bringing in a ban, partly because of falling reading skills. In Germany, by contrast, each state decides for itself.
People who are bans argue that smartphones are designed to be and that constant notifications damage students' . They believe a ban will protect students' mental health and and encourage them to talk face to face again. Chile's education minister put it simply: children "need to see each other's faces again."
However, the is not as clear as many people expected. In May 2026, the largest study so far, covering around 4,600 American schools, found results. Bans had little effect on test scores or attendance, although students' wellbeing improved slightly and teachers reported fewer distractions.
Critics also raise practical . Rules are hard to , and many parents want their children to be in an emergency. In South Korea, some youth groups argued that the law treats students as people to control rather than citizens with rights. Even so, the trend shows no sign of slowing down, and more countries, including Poland, are planning their own bans.