Sweden is set to ban mobile phones in all schools across the country in a move aimed at improving pupil safety and learning conditions.
From the start of the 2026 school year, students who own smartphones will be required to hand them over to school staff at the beginning of the day and will only be able to collect them once lessons have finished.
This new rule, which will apply to pupils aged 7 to 16, was announced on Tuesday by the government as part of a broader package of legislation.
“What we are presenting today is a historic budget investment in schools and the biggest reform agenda in over 30 years,” said Simona Mohamsson, Minister for Education and Schools.
Currently, most schools already confiscate mobile phones, but students often bypass the rules by leaving fake phones at the school entrance or claiming they have forgotten them.
“This should apply to everyone in all of Sweden’s classrooms. It applies to every young person in Sweden and is not optional,” Mohamsson added.
Earlier this year, Denmark announced a similar ban on mobile phones in schools following recommendations from a government commission.
