School phone ban in Poland from 1 September 2026: parents' guide
Short answer: Since 1 September 2026 a national law bans phones for primary school pupils and kindergarten children, with exceptions for teaching, health and emergencies. Secondary schools set their own rules.
What changed on 1 September 2026
If your child goes to a Polish primary school or kindergarten, there is now a national rule on phones. A law amending the Education Law (Prawo oświatowe), dated 3 July 2026 and published in the Journal of Laws on 3 August 2026 as item 1036, took effect on 1 September 2026. According to GazetaPrawna (28 August 2026), the Sejm passed it on 3 July, the Senate approved it without amendments on 8 July and the President signed it on 30 July. This article is general information and not legal advice.
Primary schools: a ban on phones
Under the new Article 98a, primary school pupils may not use mobile phones or other electronic devices that allow communication at a distance or recording of image or sound. The ban covers time on school premises during lessons, educational and care activities, and educational activities held outside the school. The law text does not limit the ban to lessons, and GazetaPrawna says it applies to breaks as well.
When a pupil may still use a phone
The law lists exceptions. A phone may be used when:
a teacher agrees, if the phone serves the curriculum of that lesson, checking the pupil's knowledge, or contacting the pupil's parents in an emergency;
the headteacher agrees, on request of the pupil or the parent of an underage pupil, because of illness, disability or another special need that requires specialist equipment or a health-monitoring app, and a refusal must be given in writing with reasons;
there is a direct threat to the health or life of people at the school or to property.
On school trips the ban does not apply automatically. The school statute sets the conditions for phones on trips, and it can also ban phones in some trip situations.
Phone storage and what happens if a rule is broken
The headteacher may set up a place to store phones, including in classrooms, but only with the agreement of the teachers' council and the parents' council and after asking the student council. If a school has such a place, pupils must follow its rules. The storage must keep devices safe and protect pupils' privacy, so that unauthorised people cannot look at what is on them. A teacher who sees a pupil breaking the rules tells the pupil to put the phone in the storage place.
For breaking the rules the school can use educational measures or the penalties set out in the school statute. Parents of underage pupils must cooperate with the school on the rules and on teaching responsible use of the internet.
Kindergartens, secondary schools and private schools
In kindergartens, pre-school classes in primary schools and other pre-school forms, bringing and using phones and similar devices is banned for children (new Article 102a). Headteacher consent for health needs applies here too.
For secondary schools the law does not set a national ban. According to the text, the school statute sets the conditions or a ban. GazetaPrawna confirms that no equivalent nationwide absolute ban was introduced there.
The rules apply to private schools too. Schools must update their statutes by 31 December 2026, and until then the existing statute rules on phones continue to apply. GazetaPrawna says the deadline is 31 October 2026, but the Journal of Laws text says 31 December 2026, and the text of the law is the one we follow.
* Photos: illustrative photos of a school in Dolsk (CC0) and a historical photograph of a school building with pupils (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons. They do not show the phone rule in practice.
Other changes from this school year
GazetaPrawna also reports that from 1 September 2026 health education becomes a compulsory subject in classes IV to VIII of primary school and for two years in secondary school. The sexual health part stays optional, and parents (or adult students) decide on withdrawing from it. The new curriculum under the Kompas Jutra reform covers all kindergartens, and in primary school only classes I and IV in this school year. The weekly compulsory hours in early primary education rise from 20 to 21, according to GazetaPrawna.
For parents of foreign pupils
The law applies to every pupil in a Polish school, whatever their nationality. If your child needs a phone for a health reason, such as a glucose monitor app, ask the headteacher in writing and keep a copy of the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a phone ban in Polish primary schools?
Yes. Since 1 September 2026 primary school pupils may not use phones or similar devices at school or on educational activities outside it, apart from the exceptions in Article 98a of the Education Law.
Can my child use a phone for a medical reason?
Yes, if the headteacher agrees on request of the pupil or parent. A refusal must be given in writing with reasons.
Do secondary schools ban phones too?
Not by national law. The school statute sets the conditions or a ban, according to the text of the law.
