Lawyer explains: What teachers can do with children's phones from September?

New regulations concerning student mobile phone use in Lithuanian schools are set to take effect in September, prompting discussions about the extent of teachers' authority over students' devices.

The debate often intensifies when teachers attempt to inspect students' phones, check messages, photos, or other data. This has led to natural questions about the legality and appropriateness of such actions within the school environment.

Daumantė Hinz-Sinicė, a member of the Lithuanian Young Lawyers Association and assistant to a lawyer, clarified the legal standing on this issue. The core of the discussion revolves around whether schools possess the right to search students' phones and the privacy implications involved.

While some parents advocate for a complete ban on phones in schools, citing distractions from learning, others emphasize that phones are personal property and a part of a child's private life. The new rules aim to navigate these differing perspectives, defining the boundaries of phone usage and teacher intervention.