Sweden to ban mobile phones in schools: List of countries that already did it
Sweden is set to push mobile phones out of schools from the next academic year. The move places it alongside a growing group of countries that have already restricted phones in classrooms or for the full school day.
Sweden is moving to ban mobile phones in schools from the next academic year as part of a wider shift back towards books and less screen time.
The government has also set aside 555 million Swedish kronor for textbooks and teachers’ guides, while UNESCO says 114 education systems now have a national ban on mobile phones in schools, according to the Associated Press.
WHY IS SWEDEN DOING IT?
The Swedish move comes as officials worry about weaker reading and writing skills among children and younger teens.
In schools where phones are already collected at the door, teachers say the change has helped cut distractions and keep students more focused on lessons.
COUNTRIES WITH NATIONAL PHONE BANS OR RESTRICTIONS IN SCHOOLS
| Country | Year Introduced | Nature of Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| France | 2018 | Phones banned for students up to age 15 during the school day. |
| Italy | 2007 (expanded later) | Classroom restrictions, strengthened in recent years. |
| China | 2021 | Phones generally prohibited in classrooms without permission. |
| Netherlands | 2024 | Phones, tablets and smartwatches largely banned from classrooms. |
| Brazil | 2025 | Restricts student phone use throughout the school day. |
| Finland | 2025 | Phones banned during lessons unless specifically permitted. |
| Chile | 2026 | Phones prohibited during classroom activities with exceptions. |
| South Korea | 2026 | Nationwide classroom phone restrictions. |
| Sweden | 2026 (planned) | Nationwide school phone ban from the next academic year. |
| Poland | 2026 (planned) | Government plans ban for students aged 7–15. |
| Denmark | Proposed | Government backing phone-free schools policy. |
| Hungary | 2024 | National restrictions on phone use during school hours. |
| Ireland | 2025 | School-day restrictions in many schools under national policy framework. |
| Portugal | 2025-26 | Included among European countries with national limits. |
| Belgium | 2025-26 | Full school-day restrictions in many schools. |
| Austria | 2025 | National restrictions during the school day. |
COUNTRIES OFTEN MENTIONED BUT WITHOUT A FULL NATIONAL BAN
These countries are frequently included in lists, but the situation is more nuanced:
Spain – restrictions vary by autonomous region rather than a single national ban.
Germany – rules differ across states and schools.
Romania – classroom ban but not necessarily a full school-day prohibition.
Slovakia – national classroom limits rather than a blanket school ban.
THE BIGGER TREND
The pattern is clear: many governments now see phones as a distraction they want out of the classroom, at least for part of the day.
But the rules differ widely, from classroom-only limits to full school-day bans, and the debate is now shifting from whether to restrict phones to how far those restrictions should go.