Over 370 French-speaking schools ban smartphones next school year

The 373 schools in the Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement (WBE) network will ban the use of smartphones from the start of the new school year. During the year, a ban will be in place in nursery, primary and secondary schools.

The Walloon government coalition agreement of early July already mentioned a smartphone ban in primary schools. But the school network WBE is not going to wait for political instructions to implement the idea. The smartphone ban will already be introduced in the network's 373 schools next school year, from primary schools to nursery and secondary schools.

The ban is part of the fight against bullying. “In addition, numerous studies point to the effects of overexposure to smartphones on health and school climate,” said Julien Nicaise, director of the WBE network. 

The measure will affect a total of 132,600 pupils. In some schools, the rule will already apply next Monday, at the start of the school year. The ban, however, does not mean that schools will stop working with digital tools. There will still be a place for smartphones in lessons on media education or artificial intelligence, for example.

In Flanders, a smartphone ban is not on the table for now, although schools can decide for themselves to what extent smartphone use is allowed.

^{Illustration picture shows students using their cell phone during a lecture at university college in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ}