Sweden to implement nationwide mobile phone ban in schools

"From the next school year, starting in autumn 2026, it will be compulsory for all schools and after-school clubs to collect students' phones and hold them until the end of the day. The new rule, which will affect children between the ages of seven and 16, is part of a package of proposed measures announced by the government on Tuesday. As well as the phone ban, proposed changes will cover the curriculum, the grading system and teacher training."

"What we are presenting today is a historic budget investment in schools and the biggest reform agenda in over 30 years, said Sweden's new education and schools minister, Simona Mohamsson. Simona Mohamsson, Sweden's minister for education and integration, said the government was making a historic budget investment in schools'. The budget bill, which the government will submit next week, allocates 95m kronor (7.52m) for 2026 and 100m kronor the following year to implement the phone ban."

Sweden will implement a nationwide mobile phone ban in all schools to improve security and study conditions, with compulsory collection and storage of students' phones until the end of the day beginning autumn 2026. The rule covers children aged seven to 16 and forms part of a broader reform package that includes changes to the curriculum, the grading system, and teacher training. The budget allocates 95m kronor for 2026 and 100m kronor for 2027 to support implementation. Most schools already confiscate phones, but students have previously found ways to circumvent existing bans.

Read at www.theguardian.com