NPR

France Moves To Ban Students From Using Cellphones In Schools

The country's education minister says the strict rules are a matter of public health. But some teachers and parents call it a losing battle.
High school students use smartphones and laptops at a vocational school in Bischwiller, France, in September. The country's educational minister said he will tighten the ban on phones for elementary and secondary school students, except for educational purposes and emergencies.

France's education chief says that when students go back to school next fall, all mobile phone use will be banned in schools for students roughly ages 15 and under.

"These days the children don't play at break time anymore, they are just all in front of their smartphones and from an educational point of view that's a problem," Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said, to

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readCrime & Violence
Heated Arguments At The Supreme Court In Newest Abortion Case
At issue is a clash between federal and state law about how pregnant women must be treated in the emergency room.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
First Day Of Trump's Hush Money Trial Kicks Off With Opening Statements And A Witness
The prosecution is arguing that Donald Trump wanted to keep information out of the public fearing that it would turn off voters in 2016. The defense argues Trump did nothing illegal.
NPR5 min read
A Woman With Failing Kidneys Receives Genetically Modified Pig Organs
Surgeons transplanted a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig into a 54-year-old woman in an attempt to extend her life. It's the latest experimental use of animal organs in humans.

Related Books & Audiobooks