MEXICO RESTRICTS MOBILE PHONE USE IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Mexico has approved a nationwide restriction on the use of mobile phones and other digital screens in primary and secondary schools, with the new rules scheduled to take effect on November 3, 2026. The decision followed a unanimous agreement among education authorities from the country’s 32 states. Under the policy, students will still be allowed to bring their phones to school, but they must keep them stored throughout the school day and will not be permitted to use them during lessons or break periods, except in emergencies or specific circumstances.

The restriction was announced by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Education Minister Mario Delgado after months of consultations involving teachers, education specialists and other stakeholders. Delgado said the process included regional forums and discussions about the effects of excessive exposure to screens and social media on children and teenagers. The government said more than 565,000 teachers participated in consultations, with 81 per cent supporting measures to regulate mobile phone use in schools.

The new measure is intended to help students concentrate more effectively on their studies while encouraging creativity and other forms of learning that may be affected by excessive phone use. Sheinbaum said the government wanted to address what it described as indiscriminate use of screens, particularly when linked to social media. Officials have also raised concerns about the broader effects of excessive digital exposure on children and adolescents and said the policy followed discussions on how technology should be used responsibly in education.

The restriction will apply specifically to primary and secondary schools, while different arrangements will apply to older students. At the upper-secondary level, individual schools will determine appropriate rules for responsible and educational use of devices, while universities will be allowed to establish their own policies. The government will also use the period before the November implementation date to hold information meetings with teachers and families so that schools and parents understand how the new rules will operate.

Mexico’s decision follows a growing international movement to limit students’ access to mobile phones during school hours. UNESCO has reported that an increasing number of education systems have introduced nationwide restrictions on phones in schools, citing concerns about distraction and the effects of excessive digital use. Mexican authorities said the policy is not intended to reject technology altogether but to ensure that digital devices are used when they genuinely support learning and do not interfere with students’ concentration, creativity and development.