The Polish government approved a bill banning primary and secondary school students—children aged 7 to 15—from using smartphones and smartwatches throughout the entire school day, including breaks and extracurricular activities. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the law will take effect on September 1, 2025—but only if parliament and President Karol Nawrocki approve it.
What exactly is banned—and who gets an exception
Students will be able to bring devices to school but are required to leave them in specially designated storage areas. The ban does not apply to teachers and staff, nor to children with illnesses, disabilities, or special needs—for example, those who monitor blood sugar levels. In emergency situations, students will be able to ask for permission to use a phone.
«This is not a perfect solution, we have no illusions. But we must solve a serious problem—dependence on phones and the internet».
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland
The Netherlands already tested this model
Poland is not acting blindly. The Netherlands introduced a similar ban in schools starting January 1, 2024—and has already received data from a state study. 75% of secondary schools reported improved student concentration, almost two-thirds reported a more positive social climate, and about a third reported better academic performance. Researchers also noted a decrease in online bullying after devices were removed from the school day.
Similar measures have already been implemented in Poland by Italy (2024, with expansion to high school students in 2025), South Korea (since March 2025), and France. Technology companies object: in their view, the problem is not the devices themselves, but how they are used—and parental controls are a sufficient tool.
Second front: age verification for adult sites
In parallel, the Polish government approved a separate bill requiring adult content websites to implement age verification. Both decisions are part of a broader strategy to protect children in the digital environment, which Tusk is pushing forward with a simultaneous package.
If parliament and the president support the law by the end of summer, September will become a real deadline: schools will have only weeks to set up storage areas and retrain staff. The question is not whether the ban is effective—Dutch data confirms it is. The question is whether the Polish education system will have time to technically prepare by September 1 if parliament delays the vote until autumn.
