France is taking steps to completely restrict cellphone use in schools by launching a trial across 200 schools.
The program will be implemented in volunteer schools, representing over 50,000 students, according to details released by the Ministry of National Education on Tuesday.
Cellphone use is already restricted in French schools under a 2018 law that prohibits students from using phones on school grounds, but allows them to keep the devices with them.
However, the new “digital pause” aims to go further by requiring students to leave their phones at the entrance of the school.
According to Education Minister Nicole Belloubet, the trial will “minimize the presence of cellphones as much as possible” in classrooms and corridors.
The digital break involves removing students’ cellphones during school hours to prevent online harm, reduce screen exposure, and reinforce rules about the use of digital devices.
