Belgium Announces Ban on Cellphones in Schools

(MENAFN) A country-wide prohibition on the use of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets in Belgian primary and secondary schools will come into effect beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

This restriction will apply universally, with only specific exceptions made for “educational purposes,” “health reasons,” or “emergencies,” according to reports from local media on Monday.

Despite each of Belgium’s three linguistic regions having had separate regulations, this new rule will be enforced across all areas.

However, schools themselves will retain the authority to decide how disciplinary actions are handled, as reported by a news agency.

In the French-speaking region, which includes Wallonia and the Brussels capital area, primary schools had already imposed a total ban on cellphones during the previous academic term.

In secondary schools, stringent limits were put in place to reduce device usage among students.

The forthcoming policy will expand these restrictions, banning recreational use of mobile phones and electronic equipment in preschools, as well as in primary and secondary education settings, starting in 2025-2026.

In Belgium’s German-speaking area, the upcoming rules will forbid mobile phones, smartwatches, and other connected technologies not only during classroom instruction but also throughout break times.

The specific guidelines for execution and corresponding penalties will be determined by individual schools.

Meanwhile, the Flemish-speaking region had already restricted cellphone use in both preschools and primary schools.

Under the revised regulations, this ban will extend to secondary schools in a phased approach.

In the initial two years of secondary education, students will face a complete ban on phones and smartwatches. In the third year, however, the ban will only apply during classroom hours.

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