Parliament's Constitutional Law Committee has given a green light to the government's plans to place a restriction on how much children and young people use mobile phones in Finnish schools.
In the view of the committee, which assesses the constitutionality of bills, the suggested reform is in line with the constitution and does not involve any law change that would restrict or interfere with fundamental human rights.
According to chair Heikki Vestman (NCP), there was unanimous support for the proposal among committee members.
"The Constitutional Law Committee considered that the use of mobile phones during lessons is not a fundamental right of students," Vestman told Finnish news agency STT.
The proposed legislative reform would see phones banned during lessons and students would only be allowed to use the devices under certain conditions — such as special permission from the teacher, for educational purposes or for health-related reasons.
Schools would have the freedom to decide on the use and storage of mobile devices during other parts of the school day, such as breaks and during lunch.
According to the committee's assessment, Finland's Basic Education Act can be amended to include a provision on the restricted use of mobile phones and other mobile devices during lessons.
The government has previously stated that the proposed ban is aimed at improving students' ability to focus and learn. International studies have shown that limiting phone use especially benefits students who struggle academically, Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz (SPP) noted.
The All Points North podcast asked last year if time is running out for smartphones in Finnish classrooms? Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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