The archive / Technology and the internet
2018– · Sweden and worldwide
Phones are ruining school!
Phones in school
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The verdict
Sweden has banned phones in compulsory school from autumn 2026. Whether it improves results and calm in class we don’t yet know.
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What was said?
During the 2010s and 2020s, concern grew that mobile phones disrupt lessons, erode concentration and make bullying easier. Many schools began collecting pupils' phones in the morning, and several countries introduced bans.
In 2026 the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament) decided that phones should be collected for the entire school day in compulsory school, including during breaks and after-school care.
The verdict: what happened next?
The verdict is not yet in. Studies of earlier bans show mixed results: some find calmer classrooms and better results, others small effects or none at all. Critics, among them Sveriges elevråd (the Swedish pupils' council), argue that a total ban goes too far.
In a few years we will know more. We will update this page as the research comes in.
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