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Parliament of Swiss canton Fribourg votes to ban mobile phones at school
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Fribourg's parliament voted to ban mobile phones in schools for students under 15, aiming to enhance interaction and reduce bullying.
ZURICH, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The parliament of the western Swiss canton of Fribourg on Thursday voted to ban children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15 years old.
With 67 votes in favour and 35 against, the legislature backed a proposal that would oblige students to turn off and put away mobile phones and other electronic devices on school grounds and during off-site school activities.
"The ban aims to promote personal interaction at school, improve the school atmosphere and quality of life for students and teachers, and combat bullying and exclusion," the proposal said.
The ban, which covers students up to the age of about 15, must be set out in law by the canton's government, its executive branch, which had been against the proposal.
Fribourg's government noted that individual schools had already imposed significant curbs on the use of cell phones.
The parliamentary proposal also urged considering a ban for upper secondary and vocational training schools.
The Fribourg parliament's decision is the latest step taken at local level in Switzerland in recent years to restrict mobile phone use in schools.
Canton Fribourg is mostly French-speaking and has a population of close to 350,000.
(Writing by Dave Graham, editing by John Revill)
A mobile phone ban is a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones in certain environments, such as schools, to encourage personal interaction and reduce distractions.
Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions towards another person, often repeated over time, causing distress or harm.
Off-site school activities are educational events or outings that take place outside of the school premises, such as field trips or sports events.
Youth development refers to the process of preparing young people to become responsible, productive adults through education, social skills, and community involvement.
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