France Extends Mobile-Phone Ban to High Schools as New School Year Begins

France’s ban on pupils using mobile phones now covers high schools nationwide from the start of the 2026–2027 school year. Each lycée must set its implementation method in internal rules, using options such as individual lockers, collection boxes or lockable pouches. Schools may define local exceptions, while pupils who need connected equipment for a disability or health condition are exempt; post-secondary programs housed in high schools may receive a separate regime. Breaches can lead to confiscation or, when repeated, disciplinary action, with responses required to be graduated, individualized and proportionate.