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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

2 clusters · 10 sources · 5 days · First seen 6 days ago · Last updated 1 day ago

School smartphone restriction initiatives

Entities: PLANAPP – Centre for Planning and Policy Evaluation · Ministry of Education (Portugal) · Fernando Alexandre · Portugal · Student Statute

Overview

In late July 2026, municipal authorities in Pereira, Colombia, approved a policy requiring public schools to add clear rules on mobile‑phone use, aiming to curb classroom distractions and protect students’ mental health. At the same time, the Spanish Adolescencia Libre de Móviles platform promoted voluntary family agreements to delay children’s first smartphone until age 16, reflecting growing concern over depression, sleep problems and online risks.

A few days later, Portugal’s Minister of Education announced a nationwide amendment to the Student Statute that will ban smartphones for pupils in the 7th to 9th grades starting 1 January 2027. The measure, justified by an international trend and a survey showing improved socialisation and discipline where phones are restricted, extends existing limits that already cover younger grades. Both developments illustrate a regional shift toward tighter control of student smartphone use in schools, driven by health and behavioural considerations.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] Portugal will amend the Student Statute to prohibit smartphone use for pupils in 7th to 9th grades starting 1 January 2027. (minister Fernando Alexandre)
[● 5 SOURCES] Schools will have the first term of the new academic year to adapt to the smartphone ban.
[● 5 SOURCES] Health‑related exceptions to the smartphone ban will be permitted with proper documentation.
[● 4 SOURCES] The ban decision was based on an international trend and a survey of school directors showing increased socialisation and reduced indiscipline where phones are prohibited.
[● 4 SOURCES] 52 % of 3rd‑cycle schools already banned smartphones and 82 % imposed some restriction.
[● 4 SOURCES] In schools without smartphones, socialisation increased by 36 % and discipline improved by 13 %; with partial restrictions, socialisation rose 16 % and discipline improved 9 %.
[● 3 SOURCES] The current ban on smartphones in Portuguese schools applies to students in 1st to 5th grades.
[● 3 SOURCES] The amendment will be approved by the Council of Ministers on the Thursday of the report.

Timeline

1 day ago

[POLITICS] 8 sources
Portugal to ban smartphones in schools up to 9th grade starting 2027
Portugal will amend its Student Statute to ban smartphones for 7th‑9th‑grade pupils from 1 Jan 2027; schools get a transition term, health exceptions apply, and the move follows a survey linking bans to higher
6 days ago

[HEALTH] 2 sources
Pereira and Spanish schools implement new rules to limit student smartphone use
Pereira mandates school smartphone rules to curb distractions and protect mental health, while Spanish families adopt voluntary pacts to delay first phones until age 16.

Sources

ciudadregion.com · dinheirovivo.pt · emissoradasbeiras.pt · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · moncloa.com · noticiasdecoimbra.pt · ocafezinho.com · ominho.pt · sabado.pt · veyriersports.ch