Finland has passed legislation restricting the use of phones and other mobile devices during school day amid fears about student well-being and impact on learning.
Under the changes approved by the Finnish Parliament on Tuesday and effective on August 1, mobile devices will be significantly restricted during class. Students are permitted to use this product only with the teacher’s permission for healthcare or learning purposes.
Finland is the latest European country to impose legal restrictions on the use of telephones and other mobile devices in schools amid growing evidence of impact on children and young people, including attention and self-esteem.
Earlier this year, Denmark said it would ban mobile phones from all schools. Rasmus Meyer, chairman of the national welfare committee, told the Guardian that the measures were necessary to prevent schools from being “colonized by digital platforms,” urging them to follow the rest of Europe.
The Danish committee found that 94% of young people in the country had a social media profile before turning 13 – it was the lowest age on many social media platforms, with 9-14 years of age spending an average of three hours a day on Tiktok and YouTube.
Other countries that have introduced mobile phone restrictions include France, which in 2018 banned primary and secondary students from using mobile phones on school grounds, attempted to “digital pauses” for children up to 15 years of age, and recently announced a strict minimum age limit for 15 years in social media. The Norwegian government said tech companies “are against the brains of small children.”
In the UK, a recent survey showed that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools are somehow prohibited by telephone, but there is no national legal ban.
The Finnish Parliament has conducted an investigation into the impact of restrictions on the use of mobile devices in Finland and ordered the Ministry of Education and Culture as it is expected to be completed by the end of next year. After this, the Ministry of Education will take further action if it appears necessary.
Under the new rules, students can only use their own mobile phone “for learning purposes or to take care of their health” during class. If a student disrupts teaching or learning on a mobile device, the principal or teacher has the right to remove it. Schools should also establish rules regarding the use and storage of mobile devices during lessons, meals and breaks.
Lawmakers who opposed the bill when they were voted in argued that restrictions on phone use should be extended to apply to breaks and meals too.
Finland’s Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz said in December that school work “is not only about teaching knowledge, but also about teaching social skills.” He told broadcaster Yle: