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The Netherlands' School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Partly. Under a national agreement, not a law, phones, tablets and smartwatches have been kept out of lessons in secondary schools since 1 January 2024 and in primary and special schools since 2024-25. On 5 October 2026 the cabinet urged a ban for the whole school day, breaks included, from 1 January 2027.
The current rule is a national agreement between the education ministry, school sector bodies, parents and pupils. It keeps mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches out of the classroom unless needed for a lesson, such as media literacy, or for medical needs or a disability. Each school writes its own policy with staff, pupils and parents, and decides whether the ban extends to breaks and the playground. Special schools may be more flexible.
The agreement was announced in July 2023, applied to secondary schools from 1 January 2024, and was extended to primary and special education from 2024-25. A 2024 ministry survey found every secondary school surveyed had acted. On 5 October 2026 the cabinet said phones should stay 'at home or in the locker' for the whole school day from 1 January 2027. It is urgent advice to be agreed with the sector, not legislation.
The 2024 ministry survey of nearly 600 secondary schools reported better concentration in lessons and more social contact, and over 70% of primary schools already had similar rules. Evidence on stricter bans is mixed: a January 2026 study of 1,398 pupils in 24 Dutch schools found full-site bans did not improve well-being or bullying compared with classroom-only bans. Kennisnet publishes a school policy handbook.
Whatever the rule in the Netherlands requires of basisscholen and secondary schools, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the school does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to the Netherlands, 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
Is the Dutch phone ban a law?
No. It is a national agreement with the education sector. The cabinet's October 2026 call for a full-day ban is also advice, not legislation.
Does the ban cover breaks?
Under the 2024 agreement, only lessons are covered and schools decide on breaks. From 1 January 2027 the cabinet wants phones away for the whole day, breaks included.
Can Dutch schools use phone pouches?
Yes. Schools set their own method, and the cabinet's 2027 advice simply requires phones to be left at home or locked away during the school day.
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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