Mexico proposes to ban cell phones and mobile devices in basic education schools

Mexico City.- Senator Alberto Anaya Gutiérrez, coordinator of the Labor Party (PT) in the Senate, proposed to reform the General Education Law to prohibit the use of cell phones and other personal mobile devices during the school day in basic education levels in Mexico. The initiative proposes to modify article 84 of the law to prevent the use of cell phones, electronic tablets, smartwatches, and any other mobile device in schools, except in emergencies or for special educational needs. According to the proposal, teaching and management staff would be authorized to retain students’ devices during school hours, in order to ensure compliance with the measure, and return them at the end of the school day. When presenting the initiative, Anaya Gutiérrez explained that the proposal responds to a growing phenomenon in Mexican classrooms: the indiscriminate use of mobile devices and their impact on attention, school coexistence, and the formative sense of the educational space.

Prohibition of mobile phones in the classroom, under analysis in Mexico

In a statement, the legislator maintained that the objective is to restore the school as an environment of mindfulness, reflection, and integral human development, by favoring concentration, reading, critical thinking, and direct interaction between students and teachers.

Likewise, it was pointed out that establishing clear limits on the use of technology seeks to protect children’s right to a quality education in a healthy and balanced environment, as well as reduce associated risks, such as cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and dependence on constant connectivity. The senator clarified that the initiative does not intend to halt technological progress, but rather to ensure that technology is a complementary support in the educational process and not a substitute for human interaction in the classroom. The proposal was referred to the United Commissions of Education and Legislative Studies for analysis and eventual ruling.