Czech government plans to ban mobile phones in schools from 2027

The Czech government has proposed a bill to ban mobile phone use in schools from September 2027, citing concerns over their impact on children's concentration and behaviour.

The Czech government has submitted ​a bill to ban ​the use of ‌mobile telephones ​in schools starting from September 2027, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday, joining ‌a growing global push to limit screen time for children in the classroom. The ban would apply to phones' use in classrooms as ‌well as during breaks, with some exceptions like for health reasons ‌or if schools allow them for educational purposes.

"Schools will not be able to allow students to take a break with their mobile phones beyond these ⁠reasons," ​the draft bill said. The ⁠move follows measures by other governments to restrict social media or mobile ⁠phone use among kids.

Poland this month followed countries like the Netherlands, South ​Korea or Italy in banning smartphones in schools due to concerns ⁠over their impact on concentration and behaviour. For social media, Australia was the ⁠first ​to ban access for children and Britain announced a planned ban for under-16s this month.

Babis said the government was also ⁠looking at banning social media sites for children, following the example ⁠of France ⁠and others taking tougher stances due to worries over perceived negative effects on children. But Monday's bill did not ‌address ‌that.