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​France Bans Smartphones And Tablets From Schools

​France Bans Smartphones And Tablets From Schools

The ban will be enforced for school children aged between three and 15, and will apply to smartphones as well as other devices like tablets

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

We all know or remember what it's like to be sat in a lesson with a phone under your desk, either flicking through social media or playing literally ANY game that's less boring than whatever your teacher's going on about.

But apparently that will soon be a thing of the past for kids in France, where smartphones will be banned from schools when they return to class in September.

CNN reports that the ban will be enforced for school children aged between three and 15, and will apply to smartphones as well as other internet-connected devices such as tablets.

PA

Schools with students aged 15 and over will also be able to choose whether or not the phone ban should apply.

"We know today that there is a phenomenon of screen addiction, the phenomenon of bad mobile phone use," said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, speaking to French news channel BFMTV.

"Our main role is to protect children and adolescents. It is a fundamental role of education, and this law allows it."

The idea was introduced by President Macron in his 2017 presidential election campaign, and was eventually passed with 62 votes to one.

An early law was approved in 2010 that banned the use of smartphones 'during all teaching activity'.

But the new law means children must either not bring their phone with them to school or will have to turn them off.

The only exceptions are for students with disabilities, during extracurricular activities or for 'pedagogical [teaching] use'.

PA

However, not everyone sees the ban as a good idea - including Alexis Corbière, a former teacher and now a deputy from the left-wing Unbowed France party.

"This isn't a 21st century law in our eyes, but a law from the era of news channels and binary debate," said Corbière.

"In reality, the ban has already been made," he continued, referring to the 2010 law, adding: "I don't know a single teacher in this country that allows the use of phones in class."

It's not the first time the country has limited the use of technology in everyday life, either. Last year, it's government passed another law that required French companies to draft rules that would limit work emails and the 'right to disconnect' outside of the office - aiming to reduce job-related stress.

"Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash, like a dog," Benoit Hamon, a former French education minister and Socialist member of Parliament, told the BBC.

"The texts, the messages, the emails: They colonize the life of the individual to the point where he or she eventually breaks down."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: World News, News, Technology, France