UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring team reports that 114 education systems — about 58% of countries — now have a national ban or restriction on smartphones in schools. That share has climbed almost 20 percentage points since early 2025, one of the fastest policy shifts education has seen in years.
In England, new statutory guidance took effect on 29 June 2026, with schools expected to follow it from 1 September, backing headteachers who prohibit phone use across the school day. Sweden is moving to bar phones in schools from the autumn term, and a proposal to tighten the rules is before the French parliament.
What it means for international schools
International schools sit across many of these jurisdictions at once, and a growing number are writing device-free policies of their own — citing classroom focus and student wellbeing — even where no national rule yet applies to them. The debate over evidence continues, but the direction of travel is no longer in doubt.
Sources
UNESCO GEM Report — Phone bans in schools are spreading worldwide · GOV.UK — Mobile phones in schools · NPR — Sweden set to ban mobile phones in schools
