The Finnish government is drafting a new law which would limit the use of mobile phones in schools, Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP) told Yle on Friday.
The government hopes to bring the bill before parliament for debate and a vote in the autumn, Henriksson added.
"The aim is to give students some peace of mind in school, while also strengthening the powers of teachers and principals," the minister said.
The use of phones during lessons are proving to be a big distraction for both students and teachers, she further noted, especially in secondary schools.
Other EU countries have brought in similar laws in recent years. In Spain, for example, smartphones are banned from primary schools and their use is heavily restricted in secondary schools.
The government's intention to tackle this issue was set out in its programme for government, published before it entered office last June.
"The government will reinforce the powers of teachers and principals to intervene in activities that disrupt teaching and take place during school hours. We will make the necessary legislative amendments to enable more efficient restrictions in cases such as the use of mobile devices during the school day so that pupils and students can better concentrate on teaching," it stated.
Henriksson: Schools not availing of current laws
While the government prepares the new law, Henriksson told Yle that she would like to see municipalities and schools across the country make more effective use of the possibilities already provided by Finnish law to tackle the use of mobile phones schools.
Under current legislation, schools can already prohibit the use of mobile phones during lessons.
"This is something that apparently has not been done everywhere in Finland. It may be that this possibility has not been understood," Henriksson said.
However, the current legislation does not allow a school or a teacher to ban the use of phones for the duration of the entire school day.
In addition, students must only put their phones away voluntarily, and cannot be forced to do so.
The drafting of the new law must also ensure that a student's fundamental rights are not infringed, Henriksson noted, as children are entitled to the right to their own property as well as freedom of expression.
This means that a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible, she added, as students may have legitimate reasons to carry their phones.
Henriksson further noted that the topic of mobile phones in schools was discussed at a recent meeting of Nordic education ministers, and the challenges are similar everywhere.
The All Points North podcast asked last year why Finland seems so relaxed about children using smartphones. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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