Phones In Schools Likely To Be Banned Next Year

Mobile phones will be banned in primary schools across Iceland next school year, reports RÚV. The Ministry of Education and Children is currently drafting regulations on the ban.

Denmark is preparing legislation to ban mobile phones and personal tablets in Danish schools. Minister Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir says that since the issue has arisen in Denmark, it was inevitable to discuss it in Iceland as well.

“We may still need to review certain details and implementations. Nevertheless, I aim to introduce this in some form, even if it’s not a fully developed bill. At the very least, I want to issue a regulation so that this can take effect next school year,” she says.

According to the Minister, the main issue is the distraction caused by social media. She hopes the ban will contribute to improving the level of education. “I’m a teacher, and I will say that the phones themselves aren’t necessarily the problem — it’s social media. It’s this constant distraction that children are dealing with. Even we, as adults, struggle to manage these devices,” she says.