Young people are spending more and more time on their mobile phones. , scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the consequences of this excessive digital consumption. A decline in social interaction, impaired physical and mental development, reduced performance at school... Studies all agree on the dangers of uncontrolled use of screens.
Faced with this reality, the minister for education, children and youth, (DP), presented a package of measures on 24 February aimed at encouraging physical activity, motor skills, creativity and social interaction among children and young people, whether at school, in non-formal education or during their leisure time.
"If we do not want a generation lost in the digital world, which we know is not always beneficial for young people, we must collectively rethink our relationship with the dangers of the smartphone and social media. For education, this will be one of the biggest and most urgent challenges in the years to come", Meisch stated. "To get children away from screens, we need attractive alternatives. Today's children are no longer used to being bored and are quickly distracted. To encourage healthy development, we need to make a collective effort to give them a taste for physical activities, board games, shared moments and the pleasure of being together.
Among the measures put in place, the total ban on mobile phones in all primary schools from Easter 2025, , stands out as a flagship measure. However, for the education minister, this restriction, while necessary, is not enough on its own. "To protect children's health and promote balanced development, it is not enough to reduce screen time. It is just as important to find the right balance between the digital world and the real world."
"Fewer screens and more movement"
As a result, from the start of the 2025-2026 school year, an extra hour of physical education will be added to the timetable for 6th year pupils. The following year, this measure will be extended to 5th year classes. This incentive to take part in sporting activities will also extend outside school hours.
For pupils in basic education, childcare centres (maisons relais) will offer two activities focusing on sport, motor skills and movement. These activities may be organised by the host structures in partnership with the Ligue des Associations Sportives de l'Enseignement Primaire and local associations.
In secondary education, each school will offer two sports activities a day as part of the afterschool and extra-curricular activities. At the same time, a new reference framework will develop activities aimed at young people, such as youth areas (Jugendtreff) and collaboration with local youth centres. Each secondary school will also be able to draw up, in consultation with its school community, a project for the redevelopment of spaces, particularly playgrounds, in order to create convivial meeting places for pupils. The ministry also plans to set up games libraries in maisons relais and lycées.
The National Youth Service (SNJ) will also be contributing to this collective effort by stepping up its range of sporting activities, both in everyday life and at holiday camps.
A specific project is currently being studied for the Geesseknäppchen campus, aimed at optimising the use of sports facilities outside school periods. Eventually, this model could be extended to the south and north of the country.
"If our children are to become and remain strong, a collective effort is needed, involving schools, non-formal education structures and the family sphere", the ministry’s press release stated.
Read the original French-language version of this news report /