Finland has restricted the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices during school hours due to concerns about their impact on students’ well-being and learning abilities.
According to the new amendments approved by the Finnish Parliament, mobile phone use will be significantly limited during class time. Students will only be allowed to use their devices with a teacher’s permission for health-related or educational purposes.
If a student disrupts teaching with their phone, the principal or teacher will have the right to confiscate it.
Parliament has also instructed the Ministry of Education and Culture to conduct a study on the effects of limiting mobile device use in schools, both in Finland and internationally. The study is to be completed by the end of next year. Based on its findings, further measures may be taken if necessary.
Finland is the latest European country to introduce legal restrictions on mobile phone use in schools, amid growing evidence of their effects on children and adolescents—particularly on attention span and self-esteem.
Earlier this year, Denmark announced a full mobile phone ban in schools. Other countries with similar restrictions include France, which banned phone use for primary and secondary students on school grounds in 2018.
Norway has also introduced a strict minimum age of 15 for social media use.
