Cellphones will be prohibited in elementary schools across Israel beginning in February, the Education Ministry announced on Thursday.

The decision brings Israel in line with a growing number of countries that have barred cellphones from schools in recent years. UN culture and education body UNESCO said that at the end of 2024, 40% of global education systems had some sort of ban on smartphone use in schools, up from 30% a year earlier.

The Education Ministry said in a statement that starting February 2, students “will not be allowed to use cellphones anywhere on school grounds.” Elementary schools in Israel are generally from 1st to 6th grades.

The goal of the move, the ministry added, was to “create an environment in which students can develop and strengthen social and emotional skills, improve the educational atmosphere, and enable a better focus on learning.”

The ministry said it had examined “global research and trends” on the impacts of cellphones on........

© The Times of Israel