The French President, Emmanuel Macron, who promised to ban cellphones in French schools, is trying to enact the new measure in 2018, according to ABC news.

The issue was discussed earlier on Sunday by the French Education Minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer on a French radio station.

However, he said possessing a cell phone at school can take different forms.

"You may need a mobile phone, for example, for educational purposes, for emergency situations, so perhaps the phones can be confined somewhere inside the school."

The new measure will apply to French students in primary and middle school.

As pupils are already banned from using cellphones during classes, the new restrictions will forbid them from using cellphones for the whole time they spend at school including breaks, lunch and between lessons.

According to Blanquer, the new restrictions are a matter of “public health”, and that children under 7 should not be exposed to a screen.

According to a study published in 2015 by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, students following a phone ban, had 7 percent higher test scores.