Ban, limit or allow? 7 school leaders rethinking phone rules in Czechia’s classrooms

Phones have become one of the most contested items in the school bag in Czechia. They can provide instant access to information, creative tools and communication, but they can disrupt concentration, reduce face-to-face interaction and affect the ability to think independently. The question lately has become, "Do phones belong in the modern classroom?"

Earlier this year, Czechia's Ministry of Education issued national guidance to help schools set clear rules while preserving technology’s educational uses. And a survey they conducted in May found that 93 percent of Czech schools formally regulate mobile devices. Their approaches vary considerably, particularly during breaks, which schools identified as the most difficult period for setting and enforcing boundaries.

With the start of a new academic year underway, we asked seven school leaders how they manage personal technology, when it supports or hinders learning and what advice they would offer parents and fellow educators.

Sandra Keyzlarová, principal of Gymnázium MIRADOR, does not believe every school needs the same phone policy. A school trying to prevent interruptions during lessons may need a different policy from one responding to cyberbullying or a lack of interaction during breaks, she explains. Leaders need to identify the specific issue, rather than implement a one-size-fits-all ban.

She also believes students need opportunities to practice managing their own attention. Teachers should feel able to tell students to put devices away when they are unnecessary and invite their use when they support a specific task.

“Trust does not mean an absence of boundaries,” she reinforces. "Each school should be able to decide whether to ban, limit, or allow phones under clear conditions, depending on the problems it is trying to solve."

Technology can help students explore ideas beyond the classroom, access different perspectives, follow their interests and receive personalized support. “We need to move beyond the idea that technology is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’," says David Lawlor, interim principal at Prague British International School. "For me, the real question is how we use it to improve learning.”

Lawlor also sees potential in AI to provide feedback and challenge students’ thinking. But schools need clear boundaries when devices interfere with concentration or relationships.

“It's up to us to teach students how to use technology effectively and responsibly," he continues. "That means developing digital literacy alongside academic knowledge.”

His advice gives parents and educators a practical starting point when setting rules. “Don’t just ask, ‘How do we stop students using technology?’," he elaborates. "Ask, ‘How can we teach them to use it well?’”

At Riverside International School, online safety and digital citizenship education begins at age three and becomes more complex as students mature.

“Younger pupils learn to use technology sensibly, safely and respectfully, while older students explore online security, digital footprints, privacy, the law, wellbeing and maintaining a positive online reputation,” explains Graeme Chisholm, director at the school.

He recommends that educational leaders connect phone policies, online safety, AI and classroom learning through one coherent strategy. Staff also need training to apply that strategy confidently.

“For parents, partnership with schools is equally important," he continues. "Consistent messages between home and school can help children develop healthy digital habits, protect their online identities, question what they encounter online, recognize unreliable or manipulative content, maintain a healthy balance and use technology creatively rather than simply consuming content.”

Park Lane International School uses progressively less restrictive rules as students get older. “For primary pupils, phones are handed to the class teacher each morning and returned at the end of the school day," states Paul Ingarfield, whole school principal. "This helps students stay focused on learning and play."

According to their policy, students aged 11–14 follow a different routine. Their mobile phones are locked in secure pouches during school time. Students aged 14–16 can keep their phones but may use them only during breaks, lunchtime or after school. International Baccalaureate Diploma students receive greater flexibility, provided their devices do not disrupt learning.

Park Lane also expects teachers to keep their phones out of sight during playground duty and while moving through school, reinforcing the same standards through adult behavior.

Ingarfield says the system has already produced a noticeable change. “Since introducing this system last year, we’ve seen the ‘middle school’ day run more smoothly with fewer digital distractions.”

“We want children to understand that technology is a tool with a purpose, not something that needs to fill every quiet moment or provide constant entertainment," shares Lana Gergisak, founder and director of Central Point International School.

The main focus is on establishing healthy habits before personal devices become central to children’s lives. The school does not use technology with Early Years pupils, but instead prioritizes movement, play, creativity and social interaction. In Years 1–6, teachers introduce selected videos, SMART Board activities and digital resources when they genuinely support a lesson.

Gergisak says rules will have limited impact if adults constantly check their own devices. Staff therefore avoid scrolling on their phones around pupils, while parents are asked to put phones away when spending time at school.

Her advice gives families a direct action to take: Create phone-free moments for adults as well as children. “Children learn their relationship with technology by watching us," Gergisak reinforces.

Perrott Hill British School balances preparation for a technology-driven workplace with activities that build concentration and independent thought.

“Educators have a duty to help young people reach their potential by equipping them with the tools needed to thrive as adults," states Marcus Rackowe, Head of Secondary and High School. "This begins with educational fundamentals: mental arithmetic, book research, and hands-on science experiments.”

Rackowe argues that the process of completing these tasks matters, even when AI or the internet can produce faster answers. “While these practices appear outdated, learning how to master these traditional skills is precisely what builds focus, understanding, and latent intelligence,” he emphasizes.

Perrott Hill also encourages students to interact face-to-face during breaks, helping them recognize social cues and develop empathy. Parents and educators should consider which cognitive or social skill the original activity was meant to develop, before introducing a digital shortcut.

At Maple Bear Brno, digital technology is primarily a supplement to experiential and hands-on learning. “If we offer technological simplification too early, a useful tool can become a compensatory aid that replaces a skill the child has not yet had time to develop," adds Martin Drnek, principal at Maple Bear Brno.

Drnek believes children should understand a process before receiving a tool that completes part of it for them. The arrival of AI makes source-checking, contextual thinking and independent judgment particularly important.

“Especially in elementary school, I consider it essential to first build basic cognitive skills and habits," he shares. "Children need to learn to concentrate, read with understanding, work with information, do math, remember things, make mistakes, and find their own way to solve problems.”

A successful policy should do more than create a quieter classroom. It should help students recognize when technology supports their goals, when it interferes and when they need to put it away themselves. As government advisers continue to explore what boundaries can be set with technology in the classroom, parents and educators in Czechia can keep this advice in mind: