French high schools are moving to enforce a ban on mobile phone usage among students aged 15 to 18 beginning this month as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to reduce screen time among young people. The measure comes after the government’s original proposal to restrict social media access for children under 15 encountered legal obstacles.
Education unions have raised concerns about the feasibility of rapid implementation. Jérôme Fournier, national secretary of the SE-Unsa trade union, noted that schools must amend their internal regulations through a consultation process and voting procedure, requirements that cannot be completed before the September deadline. He highlighted practical complications, including the fact that many schools rely on smartphone applications for essential functions such as displaying class schedules, announcing room changes, communicating homework assignments, and enabling students to access cafeterias and libraries.
Additional implementation challenges include determining the scope of the ban—whether it applies throughout school buildings and grounds or has designated exceptions—and addressing security concerns. Fournier warned that students may leave school premises to use phones on nearby streets if the restrictions are too stringent. He also noted that some high schools host older students pursuing higher education or apprenticeships who may be 20 years old and require phones for work-related purposes.
Fournier advocated for student consultation in the policy-making process, arguing that high school students, particularly those in their final year who are eligible to vote in upcoming presidential elections, should be treated as young adults rather than children in these discussions.
Meanwhile, Macron’s administration continues working to salvage the social media ban after France’s constitutional council rejected the initial version. The council identified concerns about overly broad definitions that could restrict freedom of expression and raised privacy issues regarding age-verification systems. Legal experts, including law professor Valère Ndior, have expressed skepticism about whether a revised version can comply with both European and French constitutional law requirements.
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