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Norway's School Phone Rules: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Partly. Norway has no national law banning phones in schools, but a national recommendation from February 2024 asks schools to strictly restrict phones and smartwatches, all day in grades 1-7, in lessons and usually breaks in grades 8-10, and in lessons only in upper secondary.
The rule is a recommendation from the Directorate for Education and Training (Utdanningsdirektoratet), issued on 7 February 2024. It is not binding. Schools put it into effect through their own rules of conduct (ordensreglement), set by the municipality or county. It covers private phones and smartwatches. Upper secondary students may use phones in lessons when a teacher decides it is needed for teaching.
Before 2024, many schools already had local rules, and Stavanger restricted phones across its schools from 2019. In February 2024 parliament voted down a proposal for a full legal ban, and the government chose the faster route of a national recommendation instead. In February 2025 the government reported on one year of phone-free schools and kept the recommendation approach. As of October 2026 we found no bill or regulation turning the recommendation into law.
Uptake is high. In a NIFU survey for the Directorate (March to April 2024), 96% of primary and lower secondary school leaders and 64% of upper secondary leaders said their rules of conduct now restrict phones and smartwatches. Some municipalities, such as Oslo, set one rule for all their schools. Officials admit enforcement is harder in upper secondary. NHH research by Sara Abrahamsson found bans were linked to higher grades for girls and less bullying.
Whatever the rule of conduct at a Norwegian barneskole, ungdomsskole or videregående skole requires, 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 Norway, 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 phone ban in Norwegian schools a law?
No. It is a national recommendation from the Directorate for Education and Training. Each school or school owner makes it binding on students through its rules of conduct (ordensreglement).
Does the recommendation cover breaks?
In primary school (grades 1-7), yes. In lower secondary (grades 8-10), breaks should generally be phone-free. In upper secondary, the recommendation covers lessons only, though schools may add some limits on breaks.
Does it include smartwatches?
Yes. The recommendation covers both private mobile phones and smartwatches.
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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