Yet another developed country gives the green light to ban phones in public and private schools. “A scourge affecting our children”

Chile's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill banning the use of mobile phones in primary and secondary schools, joining a growing number of countries regulating smartphone use in schools, AFP notes. Chile is one of the countries with the most stable economy and high standard of living in South America.

The Chamber of Deputies of Chile gave the green light with an overwhelming majority to the initiative supported by the government of the left-wing president Gabriel Boric, which is to promulgate it soon, writes Agerpres.

Chile's GDP per capita is higher than that of Argentina and Brazil. And in terms of the human development index, which takes into account not only GDP, but also elements such as health, education and social welfare, Chile ranks 1st in all of South America.

The law will take effect in March in all public and private elementary and secondary schools, according to the text.

The ban applies building-wide, but each school will have to establish its own internal regulations to define the scope.

Using phones, “a scourge”

The use of cell phones in classrooms “is a scourge that is getting out of control and currently constitutes one of the main pandemics affecting our children,” Chilean Education Minister Nicolas Cataldo told the media.

According to deputy Diego Schalper, one of the authors of the bill, the use of mobile phones among young people is associated with the development of addictions and “damages the learning process in the classroom”.

For opposition MP Marcia Raphael, this ban is not “against technology” but aims to promote students' “concentration, achievement, community life and emotional health”.

The exception to the new rule

The proposed law would only allow the use of the phone if the student has special educational needs, in an emergency or for a medical condition that requires monitoring with the device.

The move comes at a time when many countries are concerned about the impact of smartphone use on mental health and learning.

Elsewhere in Latin America, a law passed in January by Brazilian President Lula da Silva bans smartphones in schools, both in the classroom and on school grounds.

Other countries that have introduced similar restrictions

In Finland, a country long renowned for the quality of its education, a law banning cell phones during school hours went into effect on August 1. South Korea, Italy and France have already introduced similar restrictions.

In France, mobile phones were banned by a measure in 2018, but this rule is sometimes difficult to enforce. Ways are being sought to strengthen its enforcement by forcing students to leave them in lockers, briefcases or covers during class.

According to UNESCO, by the end of 2024, 40% of public education systems around the world have banned the use of smartphones in schools in one way or another, compared to 30% a year earlier.

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