Mobile phone ban in Netherlands schools comes into force

Schools in the Netherlands began a complete nationwide ban on mobile phones on Monday, dpa reported.

Phones in secondary school classrooms have been forbidden since the beginning of the year, a measure that has now been extended to primary schools from the start of the new school year.

The Ministry of Education in The Hague said mobile phones distract pupils and reduce their ability to concentrate, which has a detrimental effect on learning.

Phones may still be used in class if they are necessary for the content of the lesson, for example when learning about media skills. Pupils are also allowed to use mobile phones if they are dependent on them for medical reasons or due to a disability.

Schools have been given responsibility for the practical implementation of the ban. In schools where mobile phones are also banned during breaks, the atmosphere also improves, the broadcaster NOS reported. "Breaks are more sociable because pupils end up talking to each other more often," said researcher Loes Pouwels from Radboud University in Nijmegen.

A ban on mobile phones in schools had previously been the subject of controversial debate in the Netherlands. Several ministers of education initially did not believe in a nationwide regulation and school heads also argued in favour of local rules, the broadcaster reported.

At the same time, a number of parents argued that children of primary school age should not have smartphones at all, precisely because of the addictive potential of social media. Greece and Italy have also banned mobile phones from classrooms, while Germany has been discussing such a move for some time. A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) advised limited and responsible use of mobile phones in schools.

WAM