Around 93 percent of French children ages 12 to 17 have mobile phones, and most have models that support apps. Credit Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Yet students say they know how to get around the ban Grace, the eighth grader, said that even after her school, francoise Dolto middle school in Paris, introduced its rule last year, she continued to film her friends for Snapchat and Instagram She just did it clandestinely ADVERTISEMENT Both she and her classmate Zoelinh say they take their phones to school even though they are not allowed to use them there. In theory I could leave it at home and pick it up after school, but I'd be missing something, " Zoelinh said. I would not feel good at all Grace added, halfjoking, Wed be depressed. Both said they felt a void when their phones were not close by. During an interview in a cafe both girls restrained themselves from doing much texting, but kept touching their phones Teachers also doubt whether the ban is enforceable, especially with young teenagers for whom rebellion often trumps any inclination to follow a teacher instructions I just don' t know how the law will be put in place, "said Cecile Dhondt, who teaches students who have trouble keeping upin class at College Jean Jaures middle school in a suburb of lille in northern france As for taking away phones if students refuse to put them away, she said, IfI confiscated them, my students would not come anymore to class, and that is not the objective,” David Scellier who teaches French language and literature at a school in a Paris suburb. said that he doubted the law would be an effective"answer to the addiction problem, and that responsibility was being put in the wrong place Who buys the phones for the children? he said. Who doesnt give them a childrens problems. s pig n using them? Parents. But everyone blames the framework and set limits school, which is very ty in France: School should be responsible for all the However, he acknowledged that phones were a top concern of the young teachers hetrains, who inevitably ask how to deal with smartphone use in class. " Most ofAround 93 percent of French children ages 12 to 17 have mobile phones, and most have models that support apps.CreditDmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Yet students say they know how to get around the ban. Grace, the eighth grader, said that even after her school, Françoise Dolto middle school in Paris, introduced its rule last year, she continued to film her friends for Snapchat and Instagram. She just did it clandestinely. ADVERTISEMENT Both she and her classmate Zoélinh say they take their phones to school even though they are not allowed to use them there. “In theory I could leave it at home and pick it up after school, but I’d be missing something,” Zoélinh said. “I would not feel good at all.” Grace added, half joking, “We’d be depressed.” Both said they felt a void when their phones were not close by. During an interview in a cafe, both girls restrained themselves from doing much texting, but kept touching their phones. Teachers also doubt whether the ban is enforceable, especially with young teenagers for whom rebellion often trumps any inclination to follow a teacher’s instructions. “I just don’t know how the law will be put in place,” said Cécile Dhondt, who teaches students who have trouble keeping up in class at College Jean Jaurès middle school in a suburb of Lille, in northern France. As for taking away phones if students refuse to put them away, she said, “If I confiscated them, my students would not come anymore to class, and that is not the objective.” David Scellier, who teaches French language and literature at a school in a Paris suburb, said that he doubted the law would be an effective “answer to the addiction problem,” and that responsibility was being put in the wrong place. ADVERTISEMENT “Who buys the phones for the children?” he said. “Who doesn’t give them a framework and set limits on using them? Parents. But everyone blames the school, which is very typical in France: School should be responsible for all the children’s problems.” However, he acknowledged that phones were a top concern of the young teachers he trains, who inevitably ask how to deal with smartphone use in class. “Most of