Cellphones to be banned from elementary schools nationwide starting February

Cellphones will be prohibited in elementary schools across Israel beginning in February, the Education Ministry announced on Thursday.

The decision brings Israel in line with a growing number of countries that have barred cellphones from schools in recent years. UN culture and education body UNESCO said that at the end of 2024, 40% of global education systems had some sort of ban on smartphone use in schools, up from 30% a year earlier.

The Education Ministry said in a statement that starting February 2, students “will not be allowed to use cellphones anywhere on school grounds.” Elementary schools in Israel are generally from 1st to 6th grades.

The goal of the move, the ministry added, was to “create an environment in which students can develop and strengthen social and emotional skills, improve the educational atmosphere, and enable a better focus on learning.”

The ministry said it had examined “global research and trends” on the impacts of cellphones on students’ wellbeing, social skills and educational development before making the decision.

“We are enabling children to truly interact with each other again, to reduce external distractions, and to expand the natural and human connections between students, without screens,” said Education Minister Yoav Kisch. “The policy is based on extensive research in Israel and around the world, and on our commitment to a healthy and safe educational climate aimed at reducing the negative effects of students’ phone use.”

The initiative was approved following consultations and discussions with parents’ groups, local governments and the Israel Teachers’ Union, the ministry added.

With smartphone use and social media access soaring among children around the world, many countries have taken steps recently to limit or block such activity in schools.

In Australia, a sweeping ban on any social media access for those under age 16 went into effect this week. Brazil passed a law earlier this year prohibiting cellphones in all public and private schools nationwide, and Chile enacted legislation this month outlawing cellphones and other smart devices during classes at elementary and middle schools.

France, Hungary, the Netherlands and China, as well as more than a dozen US states, also have varying levels of bans and restrictions on cellphone usage at schools.

Agencies contributed to this report.