Students across France are beginning the new academic year under expanded restrictions on mobile-phone use, as authorities seek to reduce classroom distractions and encourage healthier relationships with technology.
The new policy extends existing restrictions to lycées, France’s secondary schools. The move means students are now expected to spend their school day largely separated from their mobile devices.
At Louise Labé vocational secondary school in Lyon, the message has been made particularly clear, with notices around the school reminding students that mobile phones are not part of normal classroom life.
French authorities say the policy is intended to create an environment where students can concentrate more effectively, communicate directly with their classmates and spend less time focused on screens.
Restrictions on mobile phones have already existed in French primary schools and collèges. The government has now broadened the approach through its “Portable en pause” initiative, which encourages students to put their phones aside during the school day.
The new rules cover mobile phones as well as other electronic communication devices. However, schools can provide exceptions in certain circumstances.
Phones may still be permitted when they are required for educational activities or when a student has a particular medical or disability-related need. Individual schools can set out the precise arrangements in their internal regulations.
The policy comes amid growing concern about the amount of time young people spend using digital devices.
Officials and educators are also concerned about problems that can arise when smartphones are freely available at school, including cyberbullying, unauthorised recordings and students being exposed to harmful online material.
Teachers say removing phones from lessons could also make it easier to maintain students’ attention.
At Louise Labé, educators have welcomed the idea of reducing interruptions caused by phones and preventing students from recording themselves or their classmates during lessons.
Debate Continues
Not everyone agrees that restricting smartphones is the best solution.
Supporters believe schools should provide young people with a space where they can temporarily escape social media, notifications and other digital pressures.
Critics argue that phones can have legitimate uses, including educational activities, emergencies and communication between parents and children.
French authorities have attempted to address some of these concerns by allowing schools to establish limited exemptions and procedures for contacting families when necessary.
The effectiveness of the expanded policy will become clearer as the 2026–27 academic year progresses.
For French schools, the experiment is about more than simply taking phones away from students. It is part of a wider effort to establish healthier boundaries around technology and ensure that digital devices do not dominate the educational environment.
For now, the message from schools is straightforward: while students are in class, their phones can remain out of sight.
