Israel expands middle-school phone ban

Israel and Bangkok officials moved this week from debating student phone use to enforcing new school rules. Israel's Education Ministry said on May 18 it will extend a national mobile-phone ban to middle schools in the 2026-27 academic year, starting in September and phasing the policy in gradually. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration schools, meanwhile, began tighter controls on the first day of the new semester on May 18 across the Thai capital's 437 city-run schools. The two steps came in different systems and at different levels of government, but both were framed as efforts to reduce distraction and set clearer routines for device use in school. ### What exactly is Israel changing in September? Israel's Education Ministry said on Sunday that the existing restriction in elementary schools will be extended to middle schools nationwide in the upcoming academic year. The policy has been in place in elementary schools since February, according to reporting that cited the ministry's announcement. Implementation is scheduled to begin in September and to be phased in over time. (jwire.com.au) Education Minister Yoav Kisch said the decision followed consultations with education professionals, parents and students, according to the report. The ministry presented the move as part of an effort to remove phones from daily school routines and reduce digital distractions among students. ### How broad are Bangkok's new rules? Bangkok's new controls took effect on Monday, the first day of the semester, in schools run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. (jwire.com.au) The city oversees 437 schools, and outgoing Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited Wat Mahannapharam School in Phra Nakhon district to observe the start of classes. Chadchart said several schools had already piloted the initiative with positive results, the Bangkok Post reported. (jwire.com.au) Earlier announcements described the program as "Phone Off, Learning On" and said it would restrict mobile phones and other digital devices during class hours. ### Are the Israel and Bangkok policies the same kind of ban? Israel's measure was described as an expansion of a national ban already operating in elementary schools, while Bangkok's policy was introduced by the city administration for schools under its supervision. (bangkokpost.com) Bangkok officials said the restrictions apply during class hours, and prior local reporting said the initiative covered mobile phones and electronic devices. The available reports do not present the two systems as identical in scope or enforcement. What they do show is that both authorities have moved to set school-level rules rather than leaving phone use to ad hoc classroom decisions. ### How does this fit into the wider phone-ban trend? UNESCO said in a March 2026 update that 114 education systems had a national ban on mobile phones in schools, equal to 58% of countries worldwide. (jwire.com.au) UNESCO said that share had risen from 24% in June 2023 and 40% by early 2025, describing a rapid expansion in restrictions. Those figures provide the backdrop for the moves in Israel and Bangkok. (jwire.com.au) In both cases, officials described the rules in classroom terms - concentration, reduced distraction and more controlled device use during the school day. ### What happens next in each place? September is the next milestone in Israel, when the ministry says the middle-school expansion will begin as the academic year opens. (unesco.org) In Bangkok, the next test is ongoing enforcement across the BMA's 437 schools after the May 18 semester start, following the pilots Chadchart said had already produced positive results. (jwire.com.au)