Brazil restricts smartphone use in schools

The restrictions for elementary and secondary school students in the country will take effect in February.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a bill on January 13 restricting smartphone use in schools as the trend has gone global, CNN reported.

The restrictions for elementary and secondary school students in the country will take effect in February. The law allows the use of smartphones only in emergencies, for educational purposes or for students with disabilities who need the devices.

Education Minister Camilo Santana said that children are starting to use the internet at an early age, making it difficult to monitor their online activity. He believes that limiting the use of smartphones in schools would be beneficial.

«We want these devices, as in many other countries, to be used in the classroom only for pedagogical purposes and under the guidance of a teacher», — said Santana.

The bill has received support from both supporters of the president and his opponent, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Many parents and students also supported the initiative. According to a survey released in October by the Brazilian sociological center Datafolha, almost two-thirds of respondents supported banning the use of smartphones by children and adolescents in schools. More than three-quarters said the devices were doing their children more harm than good.

As of 2023, about two-thirds of Brazilian schools had implemented some restrictions on the use of mobile phones, while 28% had banned them completely, according to a survey published in August by the Brazilian Internet Committee. The states of Rio de Janeiro, Maranhão and Goiás have passed local laws banning smartphones in schools, but enforcing these laws remains a challenge.

Incidentally, a report published in September by UNESCO found that one in four countries had some form of restriction on the use of smartphones in schools.