Emmanuel Macron Wants To Ban Cell Phones In High Schools From 2026, Mission Impossible?

This is a subject that will never stop fueling debate in the world of tech and education. Are phones, and more specifically smartphones, harmful to the relational and mental development of children/adolescents? This question found part of its answer in the recent provisions taken by the State concerning middle school students and their use now regulated across the country.

Emmanuel Macron created a surprise today by announcing this Friday, November 28, the ban on cell phones in all high schools.from the next school year“The president believes that these establishments must remain.”the place where you learn, and the place where you exchange“, pointing out the dangers linked to screen addiction and the need for a national framework combining “prevention, support and prohibition“The Élysée specifies that this measure should come into force in summer 2026.

An extension of the measure governing college

The idea is not new. Since the start of the 2025 school year, the so-called “digital break” system has started to become widespread in colleges. Several thousand students are now required to leave their phones at the entrance to the establishment, in lockers, collective boxes or in individual sealed pouches. Concretely, the student slips his smartphone (and sometimes his connected watch) into a locked pocket which he can only reopen when leaving the establishment, prohibiting the use of the cell phone throughout the school day.

The announced objective is to promote concentration, improve the school climate, reduce the risk of cyberbullying and encourage direct exchanges between students. According to the Ministry of National Education, the first results are considered positive. In colleges that have implemented the measure, a reduction in telephone-related incidents and an improvement in attention in class have been noted. But it remains to be seen whether such a system can be transposed on a large scale into high schools, with all the logistical constraints that this implies.

Emmanuel Macron affirms that the measure “works quite well, because it’s a national ban, that’s accepted”. A position that contrasts with the reality on the ground. Indeed, unions and teachers alike frequently point out the impossibility of organizing systematic checks at entry, let alone at each course change. In fact, the system often relies more on the goodwill of adolescents than on strict supervision. We also recall that at the beginning of September, two thirds of establishments announced that they would not apply the instructionswhile a quarter preferred to wait for possible departmental directives.

Tricky logistical conditions

The announcement of an expansion to the high school therefore immediately triggered a wave of reactions. On social networks and in public opinion, many denounce a measure that is impossible to enforce. High school students are more numerous, more mobile, change rooms more, and often have telephones essential for their personal organization, transportation or family communication. For many parents, this general ban seems difficult to reconcile with the reality of their daily lives.

The criticisms also focus on another paradox. Educational tools used by teachers have, to a large extent, become digital over time. Many teachers ask their students to use their phones for quick searches, online exercises, access to ENT, or even educational applications that have become common in the classroom. Totally banning cell phones would therefore amount to limiting practices that have been established naturally in public education for years.

In this context, the proposal recently tabled by MP Laure Miller, also aiming to extend the ban to high schools, reinforces the idea that a political consensus seems to be emerging, but not necessarily a societal consensus. While the government promises clarification and support, the French mainly retain the impression that schools are (again) being asked to achieve the unachievable.