Cell phone ban at school: how and why?
Since January 1, secondary school students in the Netherlands are no longer allowed to use mobile phones in class. Tablets and smartwatches are also no longer welcome during class.
Schools must decide for themselves whether the ban also applies in the rest of the school building and how they ensure that students adhere to the new rules.
There are also exceptions: some children can still use their telephone after consultation. For example, if there are medical reasons or a disability.
The national cell phone ban is supported by various scientific studies. The most cited research comes from England. This showed a clear improvement in learning performance after a ban on smartphone ownership at school.
Free use of smartphones, tablets and laptops during lessons has a negative effect on learning performance. Distraction from messaging and social media is probably the main cause of this. There are indications that lower-achieving students in particular experience negative effects.