Openai/696938e8-11e0-800e-9700-cae6d8e723b6

This conversation was exported from ChatGPT

gpt-5-2

User: Which country dicided to stop using electronic smart devices in schools and why

Which country dicided to stop using electronic smart devices in schools and why

Assistant: Several countries and some regions have decided to stop or heavily restrict the use of electronic smart devices especia…

Several countries (and some regions) have decided to stop or heavily restrict the use of electronic smart devices (especially smartphones) in schools — mainly because of concerns about distraction, students’ mental health, social interaction, and learning outcomes. Recent examples include:

1. South Korea — National ban in classrooms

South Korea’s National Assembly passed a law banning mobile phones and similar smart devices in school classrooms nationwide, effective March 2026. The government cited concerns about smartphone addiction, distraction from learning, and negative impacts on student well-being. Exceptions are allowed only for special educational needs, assistive use, emergencies, or explicit learning purposes. e.vnexpress.net

1. Belgium — Nationwide ban in schools (2025/26 school year)

Belgium has introduced a ban on mobile phones and other personal electronic devices in primary and secondary schools starting with the 2025–2026 academic year. The decision aims to improve concentration, reduce distractions, and foster better social interaction and learning environments. Anadolu Ajansı

1. Chile — Smartphone use outlawed in class

Chile’s legislature approved a law to ban smartphone use during class hours in elementary and middle schools, driven by concerns that devices harm students’ focus, emotional development, and socialization. The Telegraph

1. Finland and other European countries — Restrictions or partial bans

Finland passed a law restricting smartphone and mobile device use during the school day, allowing use only with teacher permission for educational or health reasons, due to worries about attention problems and well-being. euronews Other European countries — including the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, and Latvia — also enforce bans or restrictions on phones in schools for similar reasons. uk.news.yahoo.com

1. Various U.S. states (e.g., New Jersey, Texas)

In the United States, states like New Jersey and Texas have passed laws banning or heavily restricting students’ use of cellphones and related devices during the school day to reduce classroom distractions and improve engagement. AP News

1. Afghanistan (Kandahar province)

In Kandahar, the Taliban directed schools and madrasas to ban mobile phones for students and staff to reportedly “stop the destruction of the future generation” (framing digital tools as harmful to children’s development). Wikipedia

Main reasons for these decisions:

• Improve academic focus and reduce distraction: Smartphones and smart devices can draw attention away from teaching and learning.
• Protect mental health: High screen time and social media use are linked to anxiety, lower self-esteem, and other wellbeing issues.
• Encourage social interaction: Reducing device use is believed to promote real-world communication among students.
• Minimize classroom disruptions and behavior problems.

Most of these bans still allow exceptions for educational use, emergencies, or assistive technology for students with special needs.

User: I mean a ban as pedagogical tools

I mean a ban as pedagogical tools

Assistant: Yes — some countries/regions have moved beyond just restricting smartphones and are rolling back or banning electronic …

Yes — some countries/regions have moved beyond just restricting smartphones and are rolling back or banning electronic smart devices used as pedagogical tools in classrooms. The most prominent case is Sweden and other Scandinavian countries:

International shifts on digital learning tools in schoolsFuturaÉchec cuisant des écrans à l'école : la Suède revient aux livres pour sauver l’éducationFeb 15, 2025WorldcrunchScreens In Classrooms? A Serious Swedish Debate Spreads WorldwideSep 15, 2025Courrier internationalÉducation. Après avoir misé sur le numérique à l’école, les pays scandinaves font machine arrièreApr 15, 2024

1. Sweden — Reversing Digital-First Education

Sweden had invested heavily in replacing textbooks with digital tools (tablets, laptops, electronic resources). After roughly 15 years of widespread digital learning, the government decided to de-emphasize and reduce the use of screens and electronic devices as core teaching tools. The shift is motivated by concerns that heavy reliance on screens did not improve learning outcomes and coincided with declining student performance on international assessments. As part of this policy, printed textbooks and traditional methods are being reintroduced as central pedagogical tools. Futura

Similar “digital retreat” discussions are present more broadly in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway) where national conversations reflect dissatisfaction with the educational impact of tablets, laptops, and constant screen use in everyday teaching. Courrier international

2. Regional policy moves banning or strictly restricting devices in instruction

Some governments/regions are going further than just limiting personal phones and are phasing out or restricting tablets and other individual smart devices as regular teaching tools:

• Madrid (Spain, regional policy) — A new regulation bans individual digital devices (tablets, laptops, phones) in early childhood and primary schools (ages ~0–12), with only restricted and supervised uses allowed, moving away from ubiquitous individual device use as a pedagogical strategy. European Edtech Alliance
• Switzerland (Canton of Nidwalden) — Schools have rules banning mobile phones, tablets, and laptops on campus unless explicitly required for instruction, signaling a boundary between educationally justified use and everyday device use. SWI swissinfo.ch

What these policies aim to address

These decisions reflect a shift in educational philosophy in some systems, based on concerns that:

• Ubiquitous devices distract rather than enhance learning when not tightly integrated into pedagogical goals.
• Excessive screen time may negatively impact attention, memory, and classroom engagement.
• Some countries want to reinforce traditional literacy and thinking skills (reading printed texts, handwriting, teacher-facilitated interaction) as foundational before layering digital tools. Futura

In other words, it’s not a blanket rejection of all technology in education, but a policy decision to limit or ban smart devices unless they serve clear, structured instructional purposes, reversing earlier trends that emphasized digital tools as central to teaching. This is most visible in Sweden’s policy shifts and similar debates in parts of Europe. Futura