[caption id="attachment_615" align="alignleft" width="2048"] The Netherlands is the latest country to announce measures to ban devices in classrooms[/caption] The Dutch government has announced plans to ban devices, including mobile phones, from classrooms to prevent them from interfering with instruction. The program is being launched in partnership with schools and will go into action at the beginning of the following year. There will be a few exceptions, such as those for children with special needs or disabilities and those enrolled in digital skills classes. Although the ban is not currently enforceable by law, it might be in the future. "Even though mobile phones are almost intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom," said Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf. "Students must be able to concentrate there and be given every opportunity to learn well. We know from scientific research that mobile phones disrupt this." Limiting kids' screen usage has been related to better cognition and focus, according to numerous research. Tablets and smartwatches are among the other electronic devices covered by the Dutch ban. According to the government, it will be up to individual schools to decide on the specific guidelines with instructors, parents, and students, including if they want to fully prohibit gadgets from schools. The ministry, schools, and allied organizations came to an agreement that led to the creation of the program. At the conclusion of the 2024–2025 academic year, it will be evaluated to see whether a legal ban is necessary and how effectively it performed. The announcement follows a similar decision by Finland last week. Its government announced it would change the law to make it easier to restrict the use of phones in schools. Other countries, including England and France, have also proposed banning mobile phones to improve learning.