Students adapt to new mobile phone policy at Ahvenisjärvi school in Tampere

In the 7F class at Ahvenisjärvi school in Tampere, students are adjusting to a new mobile phone policy. They now store their phones in a plastic container, with each student placing their device in a foam pocket. “We previously used these containers for math calculators, and they work very well as phone parking now,” says Principal Marika Korpinurmi.

This fall, all schools in Tampere have implemented stricter rules regarding mobile phone use. Teachers remind students to leave their phones in storage at the beginning of every class.

According to the law, teachers can only confiscate phones if their use disrupts lessons, and cannot collect them from the entire class at once. However, they can offer guidance on the new policy.

A recent survey indicated that while teachers at Ahvenisjärvi observed improved focus during lessons, students were more critical of the new regulations. Only one in five students believed their concentration had improved when phones were stored away.

The initiative stems from an experiment conducted in three schools during the last academic year, with Ahvenisjärvi being one of them. The feedback from teachers at Ahvenisjärvi was overwhelmingly positive. Yet, one-third reported issues related to phone storage. Despite this, Education Director Ville Raatikainen is optimistic about the new rules becoming a natural part of school life in Tampere, stating, “Once collecting phones becomes routine, it won’t cause problems anymore.” So far, there have been no reports of protests from students, and staff is fully satisfied with the new practice.