Back to school for French kids... without their phones

A ban on mobile phones in schools across France hopes to reduce distraction, bullying and encourage children to be more active © FRED TANNEAU - AFP

Texting under the table should be a thing of the past when French children return to class on Sept 3 following a nationwide ban on mobile phones in schools. 

The ban, a campaign pledge of President Emmanuel Macron's, was brought in under a law passed in July which also banishes tablets and smart watches from French primary and junior high schools.