An increasing number of countries are introducing or announcing bans on the use of mobile phones in schools due to declining literacy, weaker student performance, and a rise in digital violence, and Serbia could soon join that group if the initiative of the Ombudsman receives support.
At the end of April, the Ombudsman held a second round of consultations with teachers, parents, and pupils regarding the Draft Law on the Ban of Mobile Phone Use in Primary and Secondary Schools, with the aim of proposing a complete and inflexible ban that would apply to all primary and secondary school students, except for those who require a phone for health reasons.
According to him, the draft states that conditions need to be created for pupils to understand why this would be beneficial for them, and that the absence of mobile phones during the school day would contribute to students’ socialisation and make teaching more effective.
As reported by the media, the proposed ban would work in such a way that pupils would hand their phones over to an authorised person upon entering the school. The collected phones would then be stored in a specially designated area, sorted by class. The phones would be returned to pupils once lessons are over, while those who fail to comply with the rules would face financial penalties.
So far, two rounds of consultations have been held on the matter, during which the Ombudsman, as the proposer of the law, and representatives of pupils, teachers, and parents were able to exchange views.
What is the current situation?
However, the issue of mobile phone use in schools is not new. For example, at the end of 2023, the Institute for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education and Upbringing issued Guidelines for the Use of Mobile Phones.
It remains mandatory for every school to have Regulations on the Use of Mobile Phones, Electronic Devices, and Other Equipment, and this document should be closely linked to the school’s Regulations on Pupils’ Educational and Disciplinary Responsibility.
“Personal digital devices must not be used in a way that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of other pupils, teachers, or school staff. Mobile phones must be switched off and may not be used during lessons without the teacher’s permission. Calls (via phone or internet) must not be made during lessons. Pupils who have an emergency may contact home with the teacher’s approval,” the Guidelines state.
They also add that a pupil must comply with any request from school staff to refrain from using a digital device. If the pupil fails to comply, the device is confiscated in the presence of a witness, placed in an envelope bearing the pupil’s name, sealed, and stored in a designated location. A parent may collect the device after lessons.
Violation of these rules may result in the loss of the right to use personal digital devices at school and during classes and/or disciplinary proceedings.
Therefore, the use of mobile phones is not strictly prohibited in schools, but some educational institutions in Novi Pazar, Prokuplje, Požarevac, Vršac, Subotica, and Belgrade have already introduced bans on their use during lessons.
Arguments for and against phones
Euronews Serbia’s interviewees agree that the issue of mobile phone use in schools is not new, nor would banning them solve the chronic problems in education.
Milorad Antić from the Secondary School Forum said in an interview that they had long been advocates of this initiative and had previously called for the use of mobile phones to be banned during lessons and school breaks. He said the goal of the appeal was to restore pupils’ attention, but also to make schools places of learning and mutual respect rather than digital addiction.
“Mobile phones are banned in schools in France, Italy, and now Croatia as well. Pupils are more focused on the content on their phones than on socialising during breaks, for example. For these reasons, we decided to call for a ban on mobile phone use. The reasons are better knowledge, concentration, and interaction. A lesson lasts 45 minutes, and it is important that they remain engaged throughout,” he said.
Antić added that he attended the meeting organised by Ombudsman Pašalić with teachers, parents, and pupils, stressing that it was important for differing views to be confronted.
“Everyone expressed their opinion on this topic, their views and experiences, and most importantly there was interaction and exchange of opinions, primarily between the pupils and the Ombudsman. I am certain there will be more forums like this where the issue will continue to be discussed,” he said.
Commenting on the possible legal procedure that would require pupils to hand over their phones to a designated teacher before lessons, Antić said that there would initially be difficulties due to time constraints and because several teachers would need to carry out the process simultaneously, but added that “things would eventually settle into place”.
“Someone would need to collect the phones, record them, store them, and later return them. There would be waiting and congestion. However, over time, pupils would stop bringing them because it would waste their time. If they are banned, why bring them to school at all?” he believes.
On the other hand, Professor Aleksandar Markov from the EDU Forum told Euronews Serbia that “it is difficult to achieve anything or obtain the desired results through bans”.
As he explains, we live in the 21st century, digital textbooks exist, and digital technology should be used for educational purposes.
“Phones are part of our lives. Parents, teachers, and pupils all use them. Let us see how they can be used for teaching purposes. There are various initiatives. It is better to put pupils at the centre and encourage them to launch initiatives and use digital devices in that way. Phones are part of our lives. Misuse will always occur, but it is important to be careful. In the past, cheating was done with crib notes; now it is simply different,” he said.
A model from other countries
At the beginning of March, Croatia also introduced a ban on mobile phones in schools, although it is complete in primary schools and partial in secondary schools.
According to the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, primary school pupils are prohibited from using mobile phones throughout their entire time at school – during lessons, breaks, indoors, and outdoors in the school playground – although they will not hand them over to anyone but instead keep them in their school bags or lockers.
According to UNICEF data, 114 education systems worldwide – or 58 per cent of countries globally – currently enforce nationwide bans on mobile phone use in schools. In just a few years, bans on mobile phones have evolved from isolated initiatives into a global trend.
The main arguments in favour of bans are concerns over reduced attention span in classes, the rise of digital violence, and the broader impact of digital content on children.
Countries are implementing different models of bans – from highly restrictive ones, such as the proposed law in Serbia, to more flexible approaches that allow mobile phones when they are used for educational purposes during lessons.
(Euronews, 11.05.2026)