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As schools across Finland reopen this week after the summer holidays, a significant change is making headlines: smartphones will be banned in classrooms across the country starting from August 2025. This move is part of a broader effort to restore focus in learning and reduce screen-related distractions. Still, a year ago, starting school meant getting a smartphone.
While the law mainly targets primary and secondary schools, the conversation around digital balance begins much earlier – already in preschool. As preschool educators and owners, it’s essential to ask: Are we doing enough to ensure young children are learning through social interaction and play – not passive screen time?
📘 What’s the New Law in Finland?
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has confirmed several key changes:
- Smartphones can only be used for learning or health purposes – and only with teacher permission.
- Teachers now have the authority to confiscate phones if they disrupt learning.
- Schools must set clear rules on how and when phones can be stored or accessed.
- During breaks, schools are encouraged to offer alternative activities to keep students off their phones.
- Parents and teachers are expected to work together to promote a new culture of phone-free recreation.
📌 "The goal is to improve student focus and create a peaceful learning atmosphere," says Finland’s Ministry of Education.
These changes respond to increasing concerns in Finland that children and teens are spending too much time on phones—often more than four hours a day. Cyberbullying has also increased, linked to more frequent phone use during school hours.
🎒 But What About Preschoolers?
You might think preschoolers are too young for smartphones—but many already spend hours on screens every day at home. And while most Indian preschools don’t allow smartphones in the classroom, digital exposure is becoming more common—especially since the pandemic.
This is not just a Finnish issue. Around the world, educators are questioning how much screen time is too much—especially in the early years when the brain is rapidly developing.
Preschool education is not about apps or videos. It’s about:
- Social interaction
- Play-based learning
- Hands-on discovery
- Emotional development
All of which require human connection—not screens.
🥰 Already at a preschool age, we need to find a better balance between screen time and social interaction.
This is where Finland’s approach is relevant even for preschools. While the legislation does not extend to early childhood centres, it signals a growing global concern about excessive screen use and its impact on young minds.
✅ What Can Preschools Do?
You don’t need a government mandate to act. As a preschool owner or educator, you can already implement practices to promote healthy development:
1. Minimize Screen Time
Avoid using videos or tablets as part of daily teaching routines. Instead, focus on physical play, music, storytelling, and group activities.
2. Educate Parents
Parents often use screens as babysitters. Offer guidance on age-appropriate screen time. Recommend alternatives like books, puzzles, or outdoor play.
3. Create a Screen-Free Policy
Make your preschool a phone-free zone—for children and staff. Explain to parents that this supports better learning and emotional development.
4. Train Your Teachers
Help your team understand the importance of face-to-face interaction and child-led play. Encourage them to model screen-free behavior.
5. Communicate Your Values
Highlight your commitment to child wellbeing in your school’s brochures, website, and parent meetings. This can become a powerful point of differentiation.
🌱 Preschools that promote healthy habits early on are planting seeds for lifelong well-being.
📚 Finland’s Lesson: Childhood Is for Connection
Finland’s decision to restrict smartphone use in schools reflects its deep commitment to high-quality education. The same thinking applies to early childhood. Children need adults who are fully present, environments that are calm and connected, and opportunities to learn through play.
While technology has a place in modern education, it must be used with purpose—and never as a substitute for real human interaction.
For developing countries like India, where educational transformation is already underway, this is a timely reminder: Let’s build preschools where children can thrive—away from screens, and closer to one another.
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Milla van der Burgh
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