"Netherlands Implements Classroom Mobile Phone Ban to Enhance Learning Environment"
The Dutch government has announced a ban on mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in classrooms starting from January 1, 2024, in order to minimize distractions. Exceptions will be made for lessons on digital skills or for students with disabilities or medical conditions. The ban has been agreed upon by the Education Ministry, schools, and related organizations, with Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf stating that mobile phones are a disturbance and students need to be able to concentrate. Schools will have the freedom to implement the ban according to their own plans, but legal rules will apply if it is not implemented by the summer of 2024. This decision follows a similar ban announced in Finland last week, while in Germany, only the state of Bavaria has formally banned mobile phones in schools.