More than half of countries now have school phone bans. Do they work?

UNESCO counts 114 education systems with national school-phone bans. New OECD data links rules to less classroom distraction, but not clear score gains.

The bell rings; a phone goes into a pouch. Teachers hope for fewer interruptions. Parents want to know whether students learn more. As of September 18, UNESCO counted national school-phone bans in 114 education systems—58% of countries worldwide, up from 24% in June 2023.

“A ban” does not mean the same thing everywhere. Some rules cover the school day; others limit phones in class or allow them for learning, disability or health needs. Check the actual school rule before assuming a student must hand over a phone from the first bell to the last.

OECD’s 2025 PISA results found that nearly half of students across OECD countries attend schools where phones are not allowed on school premises, up from 34% in 2022. Students in schools with a ban were less likely to report classmates distracted in most or every science lesson: 27%, compared with 32% in schools with no device policy. Those are reported experiences and associations, not a randomized test of a ban.

The grades question has a less dramatic answer. Across education systems, the rise in phone bans from 2022 to 2025 was not associated with changes in average science or reading performance. PISA cannot prove that bans caused better or worse scores, and it does not settle what happens in every school.

If your school is changing its rule, ask what it covers, what exceptions apply, how families can reach students in an emergency and whether students still learn to handle online risks. UNESCO says limiting phone use can protect class time, but a ban alone does not teach digital literacy.

Remember: bans are spreading and may reduce reported classroom distraction. The evidence does not show a simple, guaranteed rise in grades.

UNESCO counts education systems and notes that rules and exceptions differ. OECD comparisons are associations in reported data, not proof that bans cause changes in grades or distraction.

Sources: UNESCO GEM Report, global school-phone rules (updated September 18, 2026); OECD, PISA 2025: Student school life and beyond.