Education

Smartphones at school, zero tolerance also in Sweden. The 'no device' map

The Scandinavian country joins France, Holland, Denmark and Italy in the ban: the only partial exception is Estonia (but only for educational purposes)

by Enrico Marro

17 September 2025

2' min read

Key points

17 million against mobile phones
European landscape
The Estonia Exception

2' min read

In Sweden, too, the zero tolerance plan for smartphones at school is being implemented.

From next school year (i.e. from August 2026: in Scandinavia, schools start earlier) the national ban in the 7-16 year age group will be in place, as the government announced yesterday.

In fact, most Swedish schools are already trying this, confiscating mobile phones at the start of the school day, but with poor effectiveness: students often circumvent the ban by handing in a second smartphone or claiming to have forgotten the device at home.

This time, on the other handthere will be no room for shenanigans.

"The ban applies to everyone in all Swedish classes," clarified Simona Mohamsson, Minister of Education, "and is not optional.

17 million against mobile phones

To ban smartphones, Stockholm, incidentally, spares no expense: it has earmarked 95 million kronor (EUR 8.2 million) for 2026 and 100 million kronor (over EUR 9 million) for 2027 just to ensure the success of the operation.

The European Landscape

Sweden, by the way, is only the latest arrival in the generalised ban on mobile phones between desks.

Neighbouring Denmark has banned devices in the classroom for students between the ages of 7 and 17, following the valuable advice of the rreport of the Danish Wellness Commission, established in 2023.

In France as of this month, a crackdown has been implemented in middle school (i.e. in the 11 to 15 age group): students are obliged to lock their devices in a locker or case at the entrance to the school buildings, only being able to retrieve them on their way out.

In Holland, the high school ban has been in place since January 2024: according to the vast majority of secondary schools (75%), students have improved in both concentration and results.

InItaly, as we know, with the return to the classroom a ban on the use of mobile phones during school activities has also been triggered in high school (as well as in elementary and middle school), with exceptions only permitted for teaching purposes.

Sanctions may go up to student suspension, although headmasters seem divided on how to enforce the rules.

The Estonia Exception

The white fly in the European 'no smartphone' landscape is Estonia: the small Baltic country has openly asked students to use them in their desks as a learning tool.

We are talking about teaching purposes, not taking selfies in the toilets during recess or shooting video games secretly under the desk.

The devices are used at the request of the teacher as part of the curriculum, with great independence of individual institutions in regulating their use.

From this month, moreover, the small Baltic country former Soviet republic (1.4 million inhabitants) - pioneer of e-residency and lover of any early technological adoption - will give an artificial intelligence account to every student. Starting with 16- and 17-year-olds.