In many countries, schools are telling students the same thing: put your phone away. This is no longer a small local idea. According to UNESCO’s global monitoring, 114 education systems had a national ban on mobile phones in schools by March 2026. That means about 58% of countries now have some kind of nationwide rule. The change has been very fast: in June 2023, fewer than one in four countries had such bans. Governments say phones can hurt attention, increase cyberbullying, and make school life less social. (world-education-blog.org)
Latin America shows how quickly this movement is growing. In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a law in January 2025 that limits smartphone use in both public and private schools. Phones are still allowed for learning, health, and accessibility needs, but schools can decide how to store them. In Chile, lawmakers approved a ban on phone use during class for elementary and middle school students in December 2025, with the law set to begin in the 2026 school year. Bolivia also started enforcing a classroom cellphone ban when its school year opened in February 2026. (apnews.com)
Europe is part of the same story. The Netherlands began banning phones, tablets, and smartwatches in classrooms in January 2024. A government-commissioned study reported in July 2025 found that three-quarters of 317 surveyed Dutch high schools saw better student concentration after the ban. In England, the government did not create a strict national law, but its updated guidance, published on February 19, 2026, tells schools to prohibit mobile phones during the school day and lets each school decide the details. (gmanetwork.com)
Still, the debate is not over. A 2024 research review found that the evidence is mixed and that strong experiments are still rare. Some studies suggest small gains in learning or less bullying, while others find little clear effect. So the world is moving toward phone-free schools faster than science is giving final answers. For now, many leaders seem to believe one thing: if students look up from their screens more often, school may become a better place to learn—and to talk face to face. (journals.sagepub.com)










