Hello, school. Goodbye, smartphones. Across France, kids marked the start of classes today. But this year, they have to leave their mobile phones behind.
In a measure adopted several months ago, France has kicked off a nationwide ban on mobile phones for students in middle school and younger. High schools have the option of putting such restrictions in place.
The ban includes phones, tablets, and smart watches.
Naturally, the rules have proved controversial amid ongoing debates about how to handle gadget addiction. President Emmanuel Macron — who has frequently championed French tech — backed the law, arguing that it would make students less distracted in class and would motivate kids to engage in more physical activity, and maybe even talk to other students.
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But many school officials and critics have argued that the rules will be difficult to enforce on a daily basis, leaving teachers and school directors with another burdensome task. And it’s not clear how the rules should be enforced: whether phones should be confiscated at the start of the day or students must absolutely leave the devices at home.
Still, observers around the world will be watching the experiment to see if it helps parents and educators strike a better balance between helping kids become digitally savvy and keeping them from becoming addicted to their gadgets.
