The City of Zagreb has recommended that primary schools in the Croatian capital ban pupils from using mobile phones, Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec said on Tuesday.
Some schools have already introduced their own restrictions, with exceptions and sanctions, but the city now hopes the measure will be adopted more broadly.
“This recommendation has been prepared over the past school year, with schools surveyed and the City’s Commission for Addiction Prevention providing expert advice,” Dolenec told a press conference.
She said studies had shown phone use among children has negative effects on mental health, sleep, concentration, family relations and exposure to online violence. Several countries have launched initiatives to restrict or ban mobile phones in schools, she added.
A 2022 study by Zagreb’s Institute for Social Research found that more than 85% of teachers supported banning phone use in schools, as did most children up to Year 5.