Croatia to ban cell phones in primary schools nation-wide

Croatia plans to introduce a national ban on cell phones in elementary schools. Phone use will also be restricted in high schools, though details of that plan are still being developed.

The news was confirmed by a public health official during a roundtable on cell phones, social media, and their effects on children. The event was organized by independent MP Marija Selak Raspudić, who has submitted a proposal on cell phone use in schools that lawmakers will debate on Wednesday.

Selak Raspudić said Croatia needed to address the negative effects of cell phones, smart technology, and social media on children.

“We have not even started the discussion. This is one of today's most important issues. It is time to do something and I have drafted a concrete legislative proposal. I hope to receive wide support from both sides of the isle,” said Selak Raspudić.

Ivan Pavić Šimetin, the deputy director of the Croatian Public Health Institute, said the new guidelines were in the process of being drafted and should be finished within months.

Some 100 primary schools in Zagreb have already implemented the city's recommendation to ban cell phones. City officials said that the measure has resulted in better academic performance, more social interaction and less violence.

"We want to make sure our children are safe in the digital space, that they are developing healthy digital habits, that they are protected from addiction and mental health issues, that parents have the tools and support to deal with the content the algorithms are exposing their children to, and that platforms are held accountable towards users, particularly children,” said Možemo! MP Ivana Kekin.