Chile Implements Nationwide Ban on Smartphones in Schools to Protect Children's Wellbeing and Education

The ban on smartphone use will come into effect in March, 2027.

Chile:

Chile's parliament has approved legislation on Tuesday that prohibits students from using smartphones within school grounds, joining a growing list of countries implementing similar restrictions due to concerns about children's mental and physical wellbeing.

The legislation received overwhelming support in Chile's Chamber of Deputies and is anticipated to be quickly enacted by President Gabriel Boric, who has expressed his backing for the initiative.

The ban will be implemented in March next year across all public and private educational institutions at both primary and secondary levels. According to Education Minister Nicolas Cataldo, this addresses "a scourge that constitutes one of the main pandemics affecting our children and young people."

Diego Schalper, one of the bill's authors, stated that mobile phone usage among children is linked to online addictions and "affects the educational process in classrooms."

His colleague Marcia Raphael added that the legislation aims to enhance "concentration, performance, community life, and emotional health" among young people.

Moving forward, students will only be permitted to use smartphones under specific circumstances: if they have special educational requirements, during emergencies, or if they have medical conditions requiring constant monitoring.

Several other nations have already implemented restrictions on smartphone use in schools, including Brazil, Finland, South Korea, Italy, and France.

According to UNESCO data, by the conclusion of 2024, 40 percent of schools worldwide will have imposed bans on smartphone usage to varying degrees, an increase from 30 percent in the previous year.