Finland’s school phone ban has divided pupils and teachers in Turku, where a large survey found that most lower-secondary students believe the restrictions have made school less enjoyable. Teachers and parents, however, have largely welcomed the changes, reporting calmer classrooms and better concentration.
The survey, reported by Finnish public broadcaster Yle in August 2026, was conducted by the City of Turku and gathered responses from 2,500 comprehensive-school pupils, 1,500 parents and guardians, and 200 teachers.
The findings offer an insight into how Finland’s restrictions on mobile phones are experienced in schools, one year after the legislation came into force.
Teachers say classrooms are calmer
According to Krista Lahtinen, Turku’s director of basic education services, the restrictions have produced some of their intended effects, improving classroom calm and pupils’ attention during lessons.
At Puropelto School, headteacher Mervi Viipuri says the changes are also visible outside classrooms. Pupils spend more time talking during meals, playing basketball or football during breaks, and interacting with classmates.
Parents have reported similarly positive experiences. According to Lahtinen, many believe their children are calmer, while most have not noticed any increase in phone use at home.
But the pupils themselves are considerably less enthusiastic.
A majority of lower-secondary students surveyed said the ban had reduced their enjoyment of school. At the same time, almost 60 per cent reported that the restrictions had not changed their behaviour during breaks or their concentration.
Primary-school pupils generally appeared more accepting of the rules than older students.
Lahtinen suggested that many teenagers perceive life without constant access to their phones as more restrictive and have had to learn different ways of interacting with friends during the school day.
How Finland’s school phone ban works
Finland introduced nationwide restrictions on mobile phones and other personal mobile devices in comprehensive schools on 1 August 2025.
As NordiskPost previously reported, the legislation was designed to reduce distractions and improve the learning environment.
Under the rules explained by the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus), pupils cannot normally use mobile devices during lessons. Exceptions are permitted for educational purposes, personal healthcare and necessary learning assistance.
The national legislation also requires schools to establish rules governing the use and storage of phones during the rest of the school day, allowing restrictions during breaks and meals.
In Turku, the city has gone further by prohibiting mobile-device use throughout the school day, including during breaks and meals.
Schools can nevertheless adopt different arrangements for storing phones and enforcing the restrictions.
Some allow pupils to keep their devices in their bags, while others collect them at the beginning of the day.
At Puropelto School, phones are collected and kept locked away until the end of the school day.
According to Yle, some students have attempted to circumvent the restrictions by handing in spare phones or empty phone cases. Viipuri said most of these attempts have been discovered.
Not all pupils dislike the restrictions
Despite the generally negative results among older students, individual experiences vary considerably.
Kasper Räzm, an eighth-grade pupil at Puropelto School, told Yle that spending the day without his phone was not particularly difficult. He believes the restrictions help him concentrate during lessons and spend more time with friends.
Riia Rajala, a ninth-grade pupil at the same school, described a more difficult adjustment.
She recalled that the restrictions initially caused considerable frustration among classmates, who found the new rules difficult to accept.
Over time, however, she has become accustomed to them. She now talks more with friends during the school day, although she has not noticed any increase in her own physical activity during breaks.
What she misses most is being able to photograph memorable moments with classmates.
The experiences in Turku highlight an important distinction between the effects teachers and parents perceive and the way pupils experience the restrictions.
The survey reflects the views of the respondents rather than providing an independent assessment of academic performance. It therefore does not establish how much the ban has improved learning outcomes.
It does, however, suggest that calmer classrooms and greater student satisfaction do not necessarily go hand in hand, even when teachers believe the restrictions are working.
