College St George Embraces Phone Ban with Phone Locker

Across France, schools are taking decisive steps to reclaim classrooms from the grip of mobile phone distraction. One such example is Collège Saint-Charles, which operates the Devoir and Saint-Dominique campuses. This September, the school is implementing a full phone ban during the school day. Not through confiscation or punishment, but by requiring every student to use a signal-blocking pouch.

The initiative was announced by Jean-Pascal Troubat, head of the school, in response to the growing misuse of smartphones during lessons. His approach is both simple and impactful: each student will now be required to place their phone in a Phone Locker® signal-blocking pouch, ensuring a distraction-free environment for both learning and socialising.

“Let your creativity flow – your phone is safe.”

That’s the message printed on the pouch, designed to give students peace of mind while helping them re-engage with learning and one another.

The effectiveness of this approach was highlighted during the national exams in late June. In a rare exception, students were allowed to place their phones on their desks. To the surprise of staff, there were no disruptions. Supervisors reported that the students remained focused, and the presence of phones did not interfere – a testament to the new culture of responsibility and reduced dependence.

Why phone pouches?

In France, the law has prevented children up to the age of 15 from using their phones inside school grounds since 2018. But France isn’t alone in the movement, with educators around the world looking for ways to reduce the negative impact of smartphones on attention, well-being, and peer interaction.

Rather than engage in daily battles over confiscation or trust policies that can easily be broken, more and more schools are turning to Phone Locker® as a simple solution to a growing problem.

Phone Locker’s pouch clicks shut after a phone is placed inside. It can then only be unlocked at a dedicated unlocking stations situated near entrances and exits. For schools requiring more flexibility during lesson time, teachers can have paddle un-lockers. With Phone Locker® working with schools across 25 countries, they’re well positioned to assist schools new to the idea of going phone free.