French students banned from using mobile phones at school

France is to ban pupils using mobile phones in primary and secondary schools starting in September next year, the Education Minister has confirmed.

Phones are already forbidden in French classrooms but starting next school year, pupils will be barred from taking them out at breaks, lunch times and between lessons.

Teachers and parents are divided over a total ban, with some saying children must be able to “live in their time”. In France, 93 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds own mobile phones.

“These days the children don’t play at break time anymore, they are just all in front of their smartphones and from an educational point of view that’s a problem,” said Education Min- ister Jean-Michel Blanquer.

“This is about ensuring the rules and the law are respected. The use of telephones is banned in class. With headmasters, teachers and parents, we must come up with a way of protecting pupils from loss of concentration via screens and phones.”

Studies suggested that a significant number of pupils continued to use their mobiles in class and receive or send calls or text messages.

Up to 40 per cent of punishments were mobile-related, Philippe Tournier, a Paris headmaster, said.

Previous education ministers have resisted a total ban. But Emmanuel Macron spelt out his intention to ban mobile phones across all schools in his manifesto before his election as French president in May.