French president confirms enactment of law banning cellphones in high schools

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he is enacting a law banning cellphones in high schools starting with the new school year.

"Protecting children from the excesses of screens can no longer wait," Macron said on US social media company X.

"A school without phones means reclaiming the serenity of learning," he added.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said earlier Monday that the ban could take effect as soon as the new school year begins following Macron's decision.

The legislation, aimed at protecting minors from risks associated with social media, was passed on July 21.

Its flagship provision, which sought to ban social media for children under 15, was blocked by the Constitutional Council.

Bregeon said the cellphone ban in high schools would nevertheless take effect under a "stable, consolidated and legislative" legal framework.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will work on a new version of the social media provisions that takes into account the Constitutional Council's concerns, she said.

The government aims to establish a revised legal framework to protect children and young people by next spring, the spokesperson added.