France announces cell phone ban in high schools as of September

French Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced Wednesday that cell phones will be banned in high schools starting Sept. 1.

Geffray told broadcaster Franceinfo that the law banning mobile phones will be published over the summer, leading to its implementation starting in September.

"It will be September 1 because the law will very likely be published over the summer. I will also soon send a number of guidelines to school principals so they can implement this. I consider this to be something absolutely crucial for our students,” he said.

France is also considering a ban on social media for minors under 15, which Geffray said is still pending approval.

"We are waiting for a decision from the European Commission on the other part, which is a ban on social media for minors under fifteen,” he explained.

A growing number of European countries, including France, have been taking initial steps or have expressed support for banning social media use for children under a certain age.