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Latvia's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes. Latvia's Education Law bars pupils in pre-school and grades 1 to 6 from using mobile phones at school, a rule applied from the 2025/26 school year. From 1 June 2026 the ban covers grades 1 to 9. Teachers can allow use for learning.
The rule sits in Latvia's Education Law. From the 2025/26 school year, children in pre-school and grades 1 to 6 may not use mobile phones at school, except when a teacher requires them as part of teaching. Amendments adopted in March 2026 extend this to grade 9 from 1 June 2026, so phone use is allowed only from grade 10. Each school must set its own conditions for using technical devices in teaching, learning and communication.
The Saeima adopted the first amendments on 10 October 2024 and gave schools until 31 May 2025 to write internal rules, so the ban applied from the 2025/26 school year. On 12 March 2026 it extended the ban to grades 1 to 9, taking effect on 1 June 2026, after the 2025/26 year ends. The committee chair argued that the presence of a phone, even switched off, can harm concentration and raise the risk of digital abuse.
The law sets the principle and leaves the method to schools, which must write it into their internal rules. Sources we found do not say whether breaks are covered, so check your school's own rules and any guidance from your founder. The 2024 amendments also allow schools to search pupils' belongings when there are safety concerns, under a procedure set by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Whatever the rule in Latvia requires, now up to grade 9 in every pamatskola, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so staff do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Latvia, 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 have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
When does the grades 1 to 9 ban start?
The amendments take effect on 1 June 2026, so they apply from the 2026/27 school year. Grades 1 to 6 have been covered since the 2025/26 school year.
Can older pupils use phones?
Yes. Under the March 2026 amendments, phone use is permitted from grade 10, subject to each school's own rules.
Are there exceptions?
Yes. A teacher can authorise phone use when it is needed for teaching and learning.
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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