A policy prohibiting the use of cellphones in middle schools will be rolled out across Israel over the next academic year, the Education Ministry announces, in an expansion of a ban that has been in place in elementary schools since February.
The ban means that students will not be permitted to use their cellphones anywhere on school grounds, and will either be required to keep them turned off, but in their possession, or to hand them over to be stored by the school.
The ministry says the ban will be rolled out gradually from September, with the goal being to “strengthen social ties, reduce distractions, and increase attention to learning among students.”
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 percent of global education systems had some sort of ban on smartphone use in schools, up from 30% a year earlier.
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Sunday, May 17, 2026
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