Phone bans in schools: why Swiss teachers are sceptical

In many schools, pupils’ smartphones have to spend the day in boxes like these. Keystone / Christian Beutler

A growing number of Swiss cantons are banning smartphones from schools amid concerns about their impact on concentration and social interaction. Yet the people who stand in classrooms every day are not convinced that blanket bans are the right solution.

Swiss children are six years old when they start school, and one in five already owns a mobile phone by then. By the end of primary school, the figure rises to four in five, and at lower secondary level, it’s 99%.

These figures, drawn from studiesExternal link, show that mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life for children and young people in Switzerland. Whether they should also be present in schools, however, remains a widely debated social and political issue. While most schools have rules governing phone use, Switzerland has no national law on the matter.

Reflecting the country’s federal structure, the Swiss education landscape is a patchwork – and this includes mobile phone use in schools. Education is organised at cantonal level, with implementation left to municipalities and individual schools. Even so, a broad trend is emerging: smartphones are increasingly being banned from school premises.

Several cantons introduce bans

Reports of cantons planning or already enforcing school phone bans are mounting. In Ticino, a ban in upper secondary schools has been extended in the middle of the academic year to encompass the entire compulsory school system, effective from March 30, 2026.

The cantons of Nidwalden, Aargau and Valais have introduced bans on the use of all private electronic devices starting in the 2025/26 school year. Mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets and laptops may not be used during lessons, breaks or school events.

Exceptions apply only when devices are used for teaching purposes or for health reasons. In French-speaking Switzerland, canton Vaud has had a similar ban in place since 2019.

International comparison

Internationally, approaches range from strict nationwide bans to solutions at state or school level.

France banned mobile phones in schools by law in 2018.

In the Netherlands, since 2024 phones must be stored in lockers upon entering school.

Austria has also introduced a nationwide ban, while Denmark plans to follow from the 2026/27 school year.

Poland has recently fast-tracked a ban effective September 1, 2026.

In China, phones have been banned in schools since 2021.

Australia has gone beyond devices to become the first country to ban social media for under-16sExternal link.

A ban on mobile phones in schools in England is to be introduced by the government.

Surveys show strong public support for such measures. In a 2024 studyExternal link, more than 80% of respondents backed phone bans in schools. According to the researchers, this broad support reflects growing awareness of the challenges posed by digital media. Among young people, excessive use, attention deficits and negative effects on social relationships are key concerns.

>>Read more about the Swiss education system:

Teachers sceptical of blanket bans

Those in favour of banning phones in schools often assume that teachers will welcome the relief such measures promise. According to Valais Education Minister Christophe DarbellayExternal link, uniform cantonal rules ease the burden on both teachers and parents.

Yet teachers themselves are far from unanimous. The Swiss umbrella organisation for teachers does not consider a general ban on smartphones and other private devices in schools to be appropriate, according to its position paperExternal link. Rules developed jointly with students are often more effective than strict prohibitions, it says.

The transition to phone-free schools has also shown that young people rely on smartphones for everyday tasks, such as checking bus timetables or making payments. In the Aargau municipality of Seengen, for instance, the school kiosk has had to stop accepting TwintExternal link. Croissants are now available only for cash.

After an initial half-year without phones, however, Aargau reports a positive assessment. “Teachers now have to justify the measures less than before, and students do see some advantages, as they interact more frequently in person during breaks,” says Daniel Hotz, managing director of Education Aargau, in response to a query from Swissinfo.

Still, he stresses that bans alone are not enough. “Mobile phone use carries a similar addictive potential to alcohol and tobacco, so the issue should be addressed in a comparable way.” Preventive measures and regular evaluation are key, he adds. He says that after a certain period, it is necessary to assess whether the ban is having the desired effect and to take further steps accordingly.

Symbol of change in the classroom

Philippe Wampfler, a secondary school teacher and digital expert, is among critics of a general smartphone ban. “The ban is a quick, simple solution that avoids tackling a more complex problem,” he tells Swissinfo.

In his view, the issue lies not with the devices themselves, but with the business models of platforms built around endless feeds, personalised algorithms and reward mechanisms such as likes. “It’s disingenuous for politicians to support such campaigns while refusing to impose clear rules on these companies.”

For Wampfler, the smartphone is also a symptom of a deeper shift in the classroom. It challenges traditional teaching methods. “Students can look up information at any time, meaning the teacher is no longer automatically the central source of knowledge,” he says.

Phone-free schools can function well, he adds – students are accustomed to rules governing phone use. During breaks, they play with sports equipment and board games provided. In the mornings, however, before they have to put their phones away, they tend to use them “very intensively”, he says.

A similar shift in usage has been observed by a lower secondary school teacher in Zurich, where phones have been banned in city schools since February.

For many of her students, the ban is not a major issue. At lunchtime, however, she notices that some pupils opt out of the meal and leave school grounds for a walk – in order to use their phones. For her, this is not a cause for concern. “At least they get some fresh air and exercise.”

Edited by Marc Leutenegger. Translated from German by Catherine Hickley/ts