Overview

• After new term restarts, Bremen, Hesse, Thuringia, Brandenburg and Saarland generally bar private smartphone use on school grounds, while North Rhine–Westphalia orders all schools to set age‑appropriate rules by autumn.
• Saxony’s education minister said the state will introduce a ban on private phones in primary schools in the next semester around February 2026, with details to be worked out by year’s end and exceptions foreseen.
• A Saxony survey found 54.6% of primary schools already enforce full bans and 44% restrict use, yet unions and student representatives argue for school‑led, pedagogical rules rather than blanket prohibitions.
• Federal Education Minister Karin Prien backed tighter rules for younger pupils and said an expert commission will begin work next week on youth‑media protection, including effective age verification and possible platform age limits.
• South Korea’s parliament approved a nationwide ban on phones during school hours starting March 2026, allowing use only for instruction or by students with disabilities, a precedent referenced in Germany’s debate.