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Denmark's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes. From the 2026/27 school year, Danish law requires every folkeskole and after-school scheme (SFO and fritidstilbud) to be mobile-free for the whole school day. Exceptions cover health needs and pupils with special needs.
The law amends the Folkeskole Act and other acts to require a mandatory mobile-free policy and content filtering on school networks. It covers smartphones and other private internet-connected devices across the school day in folkeskoler and after-school schemes. School-issued computers and tablets used for teaching are exempt. Local exceptions are allowed for health reasons, such as blood sugar monitoring, and for pupils with disabilities or special educational needs.
The government announced its intention in February 2025, and a broad cross-party agreement followed on 30 September 2025, backed by parties from the Danish People's Party to the Socialist People's Party. The bill (L 130 of the 2025/26 session) was then passed by the Folketing, and the rules apply from the 2026/27 school year. Content filtering also extends to efterskoler, youth education and FGU.
Many schools were already there: research cited by Danish media found 84% of participating schools had a phone policy by autumn 2024. Under the law, school boards, parent boards and club boards set local guidelines, using templates from the Ministry of Children and Education. Networks must block sites with no educational value, such as gaming, streaming, social media, shopping and betting.
Whatever Denmark's new law requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the folkeskole does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Denmark, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you already have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ban cover SFO and clubs?
Yes. The law covers folkeskoler and after-school schemes (fritidstilbud), including SFO.
Are there medical exemptions?
Yes. Schools can allow phones for health reasons, such as a pupil with diabetes measuring blood sugar, and to support pupils with disabilities.
Who decides how phones are stored?
The law does not set one method. School boards and parent boards write local guidelines, using ministry templates.
Related reading
School phone bans by country · Phone-free schools toolkit · How to roll out phone pouches in a school
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
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