Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš pushes nationwide school mobile phone ban

On 13 June, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced he will personally submit a parliamentary proposal for a blanket ban on mobile phones in schools, arguing the Ministry of Education has done too little. Four days earlier, the ministry had written that no such nationwide ban was planned and that each school already has the authority to set its own rules. 93 % of schools already have formal phone‑use policies, and about 15 % enforce a complete ban.

The proposed law would prohibit phones in kindergartens, primary schools and lower grades of multi‑year gymnasiums, covering pupils from nursery through to ninth grade. Exceptions would be allowed for health reasons or specific educational purposes, with the rule to take effect on 1 September 2027. Critics note that research does not show a clear link between strict bans and improved student well‑being or academic performance.

Practically, the ban conflicts with the widespread use of school management apps such as Bakaláři, which register roughly 800 000 primary‑school students and are accessed by about 350 000 pupils on their phones. School director Jan Kuzebauch described the current situation as phones being prohibited during lessons but still used during breaks for accessing schedules and assignments. The legislation would therefore formalise restrictions that many schools already enforce, while raising questions about its impact on digital learning tools.