From May, Austria will introduce nationwide mobile phone ban in schools!

From May, Austria will introduce nationwide mobile phone ban in schools!

On May 1, 2025, a comprehensive ban on cell phone in Austria comes into force in schools for the lower eight grades. The Minister of Education Christoph Return from the NEOS party presented this regulation in a ministerial council decision to improve the concentration, willingness to perform and the security of the students. Mobile phones, smartwatches and similar devices are fundamentally prohibited during teaching and in breaks, as reported, among other things, oe24.at . The ban applies to all students up to and including the 8th school level, including the elementary school, middle school, AHS substfing and special schools.

The regulation aims to create a clear framework for dealing with cell phones in schools. Teachers should make findings when students violate the ban, and the sanctions range from admonitions to the confiscation of the cell phone. Schools can individually decide how to implement the ban, for example by setting up "cell phone garages", where the devices are given at the beginning of the school day and returned at the end. Return emphasizes the importance of this measure, which should not only reduce distractions, but also promotes the social interaction of the students: "We know from international studies that this increases the ability to cooperate," says the minister, as also from the FAZ reported.

A special challenge remains the handling of special exceptions, for example for students who rely on their cell phones for health reasons. Schools retain autonomy to approve exceptions when cell phones are used for teaching purposes. This nationwide regulation aims to support the school management and teachers and to pursue a clear line in school education. The Ministry also pursues goals for the promotion of digital skills under pedagogical guidance to strengthen digital education in Austria.