Cell phone garages at schools: This is how Havelland reacts to new rules!

Cell phone garages at schools: This is how Havelland reacts to new rules!

As a result of the latest regulations from the Ministry of Education in Brandenburg, schools have to adapt to new challenges. From the 2025/26 school year onwards, private digital devices, including cell phones and smartwatches, must be switched off and stowed away during lessons. However, there is a lack of clear instructions for teachers, which leads to different implementations in schools. The Ministry of Education attaches importance to the fact that this is not a general ban on cell phones. In the event of violations, students must hand in their devices to the office and can only pick them up at the end of the day. An example of the implementation is the Leonardo Da Vinci primary school in Nauen, which works with a so-called “mobile phone garage”. Here, primary school students hand in their devices in a special tray, which is locked under the supervision of a teacher. This concept has existed for years and is beginning to show positive effects on student behavior, as school reports show. [maison.de].

There is also a regulation at the Käthe Kollwitz primary school. Here, cell phones are to be left in the students' pockets, although teachers are skeptical as to whether adequate control is possible. Students sometimes find loopholes to use social media during breaks, which shows that implementation is sometimes difficult and the responsibility also lies with parents. Social educator Antonia S. is therefore calling for an age restriction for social media in order to better regulate children's media use.

Scientific perspectives on the cell phone ban

The discussion about a ban on cell phones in schools is not only local, but is also supported by various studies. A 2016 study from England shows that schools with cell phone bans achieved significantly improved test results among lower-performing students. These students benefited compared to their higher-achieving peers who are better at ignoring distractions. The effect of a cell phone ban corresponds to an additional lesson per week. deutsches-schulportal.de looked at the results and found that the effect is particularly positive for children from socially disadvantaged families and in relation to bullying incidents.

A current study by the University of Augsburg has also documented positive effects of a cell phone ban on the social climate and the learning performance of students. It shows that cell phones can put a strain on the social climate through cyberbullying. However, an effective ban would also require accompanying educational measures to ensure responsible use of technology. tagesschau.de points out that sole bans only make sense in the lower classes and that the combination of ban and media literacy promotion is crucial.

Overall, a diverse picture emerges in which the perspectives are different. While many schools are already taking the first steps towards a cell phone ban and are seeing positive effects, implementation remains a challenge. Clear rules are needed to provide students with the best possible support while creating a safe learning environment.