Government wants phone-free school day from January 2027
Schools will receive national guidance on mobile phone use, but retain scope for exceptions and their own implementation.
The government wants pupils not to use their mobile phones throughout the school day from 1 January 2027. The measure is intended to limit distraction and improve concentration and social safety, but will initially not be a statutory ban.
The proposed tightening is included in the strategy for children’s online rights presented by the government this week. Many schools already have rules prohibiting phones during lessons, breaks and in the schoolyard. The government wants to introduce this practice nationwide through the agreement ‘At Home or in the Locker’.
The agreement will serve as urgent guidance to schools in primary and secondary education. According to sector organisation PO-Raad, schools will remain responsible for their own policy and for how they implement the guidance. This means schools must decide where phones are stored, how parents can make contact and which exceptions are needed.
Scope will remain for educational purposes and medical necessity. For example, a pupil may need a phone because of a medical condition or disability. Schools may also decide to allow the device temporarily for a lesson. The government still has to discuss the precise details with the education sector.
In the 2026 State of Education, the Inspectorate of Education reported that a complete ban throughout the school day is already in place at many schools. In the 2024–2025 school year, 66 per cent of the secondary-school heads surveyed said that smartphones were not allowed throughout the school day. In primary education, the figure was 97 per cent.
The inspectorate writes that secondary and special secondary schools are predominantly positive about the effects on concentration and the social climate. This does not mean that a complete ban automatically produces better outcomes. Researchers from the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market examined the policy at 24 secondary schools and found that a complete ban brought no clear improvement in wellbeing and no clear reduction in problematic phone use or cyberbullying compared with a partial ban.
The debate is therefore shifting from whether phones should be restricted during school hours to how this should be done carefully. A uniform agreement can give parents, pupils and teachers clarity. At the same time, differences between pupils, types of school and support needs may call for a tailored approach.
The government links the school measure to a broader approach to online risks, such as addictive design choices, harmful images and unwanted contact. A phone-free school day will not remove those risks, but it will limit use of the device in a place where pupils are expected to learn and meet one another. Whether the date of 1 January 2027 will be met depends on the agreements still to be made with the education sector.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- From 1 January 2027, the government wants a nationwide agreement for mobile phones to be left at home or stored at school.
- According to the education sector, the agreement is guidance; schools decide for themselves how to implement the policy.
- Many schools already have rules governing phone use throughout the school day.
- Research at 24 secondary schools found no clear improvement in various outcomes under a complete ban compared with a partial ban.
Left
Arguments A national standard can protect pupils from constant digital stimulation and prevent the quality of the school climate from depending on the rules of individual schools. Implementation must, however, take account of differences between pupils and of medical or social support needs.
Values Equal opportunities, public protection and inclusivity.
Consequences A uniform agreement can bring calm and clarity, but rigid implementation could instead exclude pupils who functionally need their phones.
Centre
Arguments A shared basic rule is defensible because many schools already report positive experiences, but the best approach requires scope for tailoring, evaluation and the involvement of parents, pupils and teachers.
Values Proportionality, feasibility and trust in education professionals.
Consequences The measure can work if schools arrange clear exceptions and communication; without good implementation, it may mainly lead to additional enforcement and conflicts.
Right
Arguments Schools must be able to maintain order, concentration and authority without constantly depending on exceptions or complicated procedures. A clear rule for everyone prevents parents or pupils from having different expectations at different schools.
Values Responsibility, order and predictable rules.
Consequences A firm ban could increase calm and accountability, but this approach could also argue that it gives the government and school boards too much scope to interfere in family choices and property.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The policy intentions, existing agreements and research findings were checked against government, sector and research sources. The text clearly distinguishes between government guidance, existing school rules and what scientific research does and does not demonstrate.
- confirmed The government wants to introduce an agreement for phones to be kept at home or in the locker from 1 January 2027. — This is stated in the government’s strategy for children’s online rights. source
- confirmed The measure is not yet a statutory ban and schools retain responsibility for implementation. — PO-Raad describes it as government guidance and states that schools determine their own policy. source
- confirmed Exceptions remain possible for educational purposes, medical necessity or disabilities. — The existing national agreements provide for exceptions for necessary use; the sector description explicitly mentions medical necessity. source
- confirmed In 2024–2025, 66 per cent of secondary-school heads reported a ban lasting throughout the school day. — This percentage appears in table 5.1.3a of the 2026 State of Education. source
- confirmed In primary education, the figure in the same table was 97 per cent. — This percentage appears in table 5.1.3a of the 2026 State of Education. source
- confirmed Research at 24 secondary schools found no clear improvement under complete bans compared with partial bans. — The ROA summary names 24 schools and reports no improvement in wellbeing, problematic phone use or cyberbullying. source
- confirmed A phone-free school day does not remove online risks. — This is a limited inference from the measure’s scope: the policy regulates phone use at school, not children’s entire online behaviour. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the government wants a nationwide agreement on a phone-free school day from 1 January 2027, and that many schools already have similar rules. It is not yet a statutory ban; implementation and exceptions still have to be worked out with the education sector. Research into complete and partial bans provides no conclusive evidence that stricter policy improves every outcome.Sources
- Kabinet presenteert strategie om kinderen online te beschermen — Rijksoverheid
- Kabinet adviseert: mobiele telefoon hele schooldag niet gebruiken — PO-Raad
- Rapport De Staat van het Onderwijs 2026 — Inspectie van het Onderwijs
- Smartphonebeleid in het voortgezet onderwijs: gedeeltelijk of volledig verbod? — Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „onderwijs smartphones”
- NOS — „onderwijs smartphones”
- Het Parool — „onderwijs smartphones”