Overview

• Saxony’s education ministry said it will draft a statewide prohibition on private phone use in primary schools for the next school semester, with justified exceptions and separate guidance for secondary schools.
• Federal Education Minister Karin Prien announced an expert commission to begin work next week on youth media protection, including enforceable age checks and measurable policies, citing research that roughly one in four adolescents shows risky or addictive media use.
• Bremen, Hesse, Thuringia, Brandenburg and Saarland have already tightened rules this school year, generally barring private smartphone use on school grounds—including breaks—with limited allowances for older grades or specific purposes.
• An open letter from the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, the Bundeselternrat, the GMK and D64 urges investments in media literacy, teacher training and locally tailored rules, warning blanket bans can disadvantage students lacking devices or school Wi‑Fi and those needing assistive tech.
• Adding an international reference point, South Korea’s parliament approved a nationwide school phone ban effective March 2026, granting teachers enforcement powers and allowing use only for instruction or for students with disabilities.