How Smartphone Bans are Reshaping Education in the Netherlands

Wed Mar 25 2026 09:38:15 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Exploring the impact of the Dutch government's ban on smartphones in schools, and emerging discussions on social media regulations for minors.

Two years after implementing smartphone bans in Dutch schools, educators and students reflect on the positive changes in concentration and social interaction. With widespread support for a potential EU-wide social media age limit, experts note a shift in public opinion about the influence of digital devices on youth mental health.

Two years ago, Dutch schools banned smartphones to reduce distractions, enhance student concentration, and encourage better academic performance. Since then, mobile phones, smartwatches, and tablets have been exiled from classrooms, corridors, and canteens across the Netherlands.

Now the Dutch government wants to go further, pushing to restrict social media for under‑16s and calling for an EU‑wide 15+ age limit for apps like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

At Amsterdam's Cygnus Gymnasium school, a fluorescent yellow sign on the school gates warns pupils streaming in on their bikes: Attention: from this point on, your phone must be in your locker. Thank you.

The catchy slogan – Telefoon t'huis of in de kluis (Phone at home or in the locker) – now applies nationwide.

Rather than passing a law, the government opted for a national agreement with schools, parents, and teachers, arguing this would secure buy‑in and bring in the rules quickly without a lengthy legislative battle.

In the school corridor, outside an English classroom decorated with artwork depicting various Shakespeare plays, friends Hena and Fena confide they have mixed feelings about the ban. Since the ban we have to watch out for the teachers, so they don't take the phones, they say. I think it's annoying but not like it's violating our rights or something like that. Maybe now we are a little bit more in the moment.

Smartphones are not meant to be out in UK classrooms either, but with no national rules on where they should be during the rest of the day, schools and teachers are left to improvise.

In the Netherlands, the nationwide agreement means the onus is off the teachers, resulting in less friction in class management. Teacher Ida Peters stated, There's less friction in class management; now the students are more relaxed, with less distraction from phones, which significantly helps keep their focus. Early data backs this up, with a study showing that three-quarters of schools reported better concentration since the ban.

Public opinion appears to be shifting in favor of digital restrictions, with a recent survey indicating that 69% of Dutch children and teens support a social media ban for under-18s. The next question for the Netherlands, and perhaps soon for the UK, is whether access to social media apps should also be reevaluated.