Sweden to Implement Nationwide Ban on Mobile phones in Schools
Stockholm, Sweden – In a sweeping move to enhance school safety and improve learning conditions, Sweden will prohibit mobile phone use in all schools across teh country for students aged seven to sixteen, beginning in the fall of 2026. The nationwide ban, announced today, requires schools and extracurricular clubs to collect student devices at the start of the day, returning them at dismissal.
The measure is a key component of a broader educational reform package unveiled by the Swedish government, encompassing curriculum updates, revised assessment methods, and enhanced teacher training. Education Minister Simona Mohamsson hailed the initiative as “a historical budget investment in schools and the largest renovation agenda in over 30 years.”
Currently, many Swedish schools already request students to hand in their phones, but loopholes have emerged, wiht students reportedly submitting fake devices or claiming to have forgotten them. The government intends to eliminate these circumventions with a mandatory, nationwide policy.
The initiative will be supported by significant government funding, with 95 million Swedish crowns (approximately €8.69 million) allocated for implementation in the initial year, increasing to 100 million crowns (€9.15 million) the following year. According to Minister Mohamsson, the ban “should apply to everyone in all Sweden classrooms. It applies to all young people in Sweden and is not optional.”
The move follows similar restrictions implemented in other countries, including Portugal, where smartphones are already prohibited in schools for students in the 1st through 6th years, and schools in the 7th through 9th grades may extend the ban.
