Adopted by Parliament on 30 July, the ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges comes into force at the start of the 2018 academic year. So what exactly does the law say?
Prohibition on the USE of mobile phones:
It is therefore not forbidden to bring your phone to school. However, its use within school grounds is prohibited! Exceptions may be made “for educational purposes” and are left to the discretion of teaching staff.
Why this measure?
The Ministry of Education thus wishes to “promote an environment for pupils that encourages the attention, concentration and reflection essential for understanding and memorisation.”
This new regulation also aims to combat cyberbullying and the various issues encountered on the Internet by young people (offensive content, predators, etc.).
Samuel Comblez, Director of Operations at e-Enfance, explains:
This ban will serve to regulate the use of mobile phones, which was becoming increasingly difficult as they have become such a big part of students' daily lives. Even though mobile phones are now part of teenagers' lives, this new regulation will surely help them realise that it is possible to spend time without their phones and that this allows them to communicate with their classmates in other ways or engage in new activities. Finally, this regulation on mobile phone use at school will also support parenting by providing a framework for parents to reinforce mobile phone management at home.
What does the law say about penalties?
Each school will provide its pupils and their parents with a copy of the rules on the first day of term. In addition to the school's standard penalties (detention, temporary exclusion, etc.), in the event of non-compliance, teaching staff will be entitled to confiscate the device in accordance with the terms set out in the internal regulations and in accordance with the relevant legislation, Law No. 2018-698 of 3 August 2018 on the regulation of mobile phone use in educational establishments.
