Amsterdam: Schools in the Netherlands began a complete nationwide ban on mobile phones on Monday.
Phones in secondary school classrooms have been forbidden since the beginning of the year, a measure that has now been extended to primary schools from the start of the new school year.
The Ministry of Education in The Hague says mobile phones distract pupils and reduce their ability to concentrate, which has a detrimental effect on learning performance.
Phones may still be used in class if they are necessary for the content of the lesson, for example when learning about media skills.
Pupils are also allowed to use mobile phones if they are dependent on them for medical reasons or due to a disability. Schools have been given responsibility for the practical implementation of the ban on site.