Hessen Confirms Smartphone Ban in Schools Starting 2025
The state will prohibit private smartphone use in schools, while Baden-Württemberg plans to mandate school-specific rules, reflecting diverging state approaches in Germany.
- Hessen will implement a ban on private smartphone use in schools from the 2025/2026 school year, with exceptions for emergencies and educational purposes.
- Baden-Württemberg is amending its school law to require schools to establish age-appropriate rules for smartphone use.
- The restrictions are motivated by concerns over smartphones' negative effects on mental health, learning, and social interaction among students.
- Germany's federal education system prevents a nationwide policy, leaving states to adopt varying approaches, from outright bans to promoting media competence.
- Internationally, countries like France and Italy have already introduced comprehensive smartphone bans in schools, serving as examples for German policymakers.
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Sächsische Zeitung 
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Die Zeit 
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 