From the start of the school year, middle school students will have to do without cell phones

The resigning Minister of National Education Nicole Belloubet confirmed the projects announced a few months ago by Gabriel Attal during his brief stay at the ministry. Mobile phones will therefore be significantly absent from the next school year. They will be banned from more than 200 colleges for “testing” purposes. If all goes as planned, the cell phone ban shouldbecome widespread throughout France at the beginning of 2025.

This “digital break” reinforces the measures already taken by the government to combat cell phones. If the vast majority of educational establishments already prohibit the use of these devices within the school grounds, in reality, telephones are used at the slightest moment of respite. College students will therefore have to learn to do without it in the coming weeks, as the government is not ready to turn around on this point.

Concretely, how does it work?

As we said above, the rules against cell phones already exist, but this “digital break” desired by the government goes even further. There is indeed talk of having students leave their mobile phones at the entrance to the school to be sure that they will not use them.

This measure, announced in the spring by Gabriel Attal, was not included in Nicole Belloubet's speech during her back-to-school press conference on August 27. She simply explained that it will be impossible to use cell phones, without dwelling on the concrete measures put into practice to achieve this.

The rest of the measures

The 2024 school year will be that ofmany changes. In addition to cell phones not being welcome, students will have to deal with a new patent. Deemed “more complicated”, this exam will be necessary to enter high school. Students who miss the end-of-year diploma would then be in “high school prep” classes the following year in order to “consolidate what they have learned” without repeating a year.

For 6th and 5th grades, “needs groups” should be set up from September. They will initially be in mathematics and French lessons to reinforce students' knowledge and level out the knowledge of a class. The uniform will also make a comeback as a “test” in many establishments.