Overview
- From February 1, state primary schools in Saxony will prohibit private mobile devices with limited exceptions.
- Saxony’s education minister Conrad Clemens said he can imagine a statewide restriction for grades 5 to 8, though no extension has been decided.
- Secondary schools in Saxony currently set their own rules, leading to varied practices such as a ban in grades 5 to 8 at Radeberg’s Humboldt-Gymnasium and stricter locker policies at other schools.
- Northeim’s Oberschule in Lower Saxony will require students to lock phones and smartwatches in magnet-sealed pouches from February 4, allowing medical and emergency exemptions and asking families to buy a pouch costing up to €15.
- Lower Saxony’s ministry has warned schools about addiction and mental health risks, mandated school-level rules with training and parent materials, and the debate now includes expert calls for under-16 social media limits citing moves in Australia and the UK.