France bans smartphones and tablets in schools

Here’s one way to crack down on phone use.

The French Parliament on Monday voted overwhelmingly (62-1) to ban smartphones and personal tablets from schools.

France already restrained students from using smartphones and personal tablets during instruction hours since 2010, but the new ban prohibits students aged 3 to 15 from even bringing their devices to school.

And for those 15 years and older, it is up to their respective educational institutions to decide whether they may bring or use their devices at school.

It’s all part of a campaign to get students less addicted to electronics that even current French President Emmanuel Macron campaigned on in 2017. Experts have said that the increased use of electronics has also led to greater cyber-addiction, sleep disruption, and bullying.

Clearly in the United States and other places that do not allow phone usage during class or at school, however, that has not stopped students from texting under their desks or playing Flappy Bird (lol) behind a classmate.

French newspaper Le Monde reported that these devices will only be allowed for educational purposes or for students with a disability.

French Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer previously called personal electronic devices a public health crisis, and after the decision, he told French news channel BFMTV that this law protects children and adolescents from the “phenomenon of screen addiction, the phenomenon of bad mobile phone use.”

“General ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges,” Blanquer tweeted on Monday (complete with the two camera emoji ??).

“After the Senate, final adoption by the National Assembly of the law with only one vote against. Thank you to all parliamentarians for this progress for our school.”

Although this decision is lauded by its supporters as a great step towards cleansing children’s minds from the death grips of evil electronic devices, many of its proponents do not believe the ban is enough to actually enact change and regard it as a publicity stunt instead.

The new “blanket” ban begins this September, and who knows whether it’ll even work. Just go back to passing notes, kids!