Portugal will ban it in schools after confirming its positive impact on school coexistence.

The Portuguese government has decided to eradicate the use of cell phones in the initial levels of the education system after verifying their beneficial effects in reducing school conflicts and promoting interaction between students. According to El País , starting next academic year, the use of cell phones will be banned in classrooms in the first and second cycles of basic education (equivalent to Spanish primary school, for ages 6 to 12), both in public and private schools. The measure will no longer depend on the discretion of each school, as it has been until now. In Spain, regulation of cell phone use in classrooms depends on each autonomous community. However, starting in 2024, the State School Council recommends a total ban in primary school, and restricted use in secondary school, exclusively for educational or medical purposes.

The decision was made by the Portuguese Council of Ministers through the approval of a decree-law establishing regulations on the use of internet-enabled devices in schools . Education Minister Fernando Alexandre will present the details this Tuesday. This initiative was part of the electoral platform of the conservative Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition, which won the elections last May.

Although the regulation is recent, it is based on the experience gained during the last school year, when the government had already issued differentiated recommendations based on student age: a complete ban for children under 12 and restrictions for those older than 12. In secondary school, it was even proposed that students themselves participate in developing rules for use. At the end of the school year, in May, the government conducted a survey of school principals to assess the impact of these guidelines on the school climate and daily routine.

The results were conclusive. Where cell phones were banned, a considerable decrease in bullying, acts of indiscipline, and conflicts between students was observed. According to a report by the Center for Public Policy Planning and Evaluation, bullying cases decreased in more than half of the upper-level schools (10 to 18 years old). In the lower-level schools, where cell phones were already rare, the improvement was more moderate: bullying decreased in a third of the schools.

The survey was completed by 809 school cluster leaders, structures that integrate early childhood, primary, and secondary education centers, serving approximately 1.3 million students. Pedagogical coordinators were also consulted, whose opinions echoed those of the principals. The analysis concluded that the most evident improvements occurred in schools that opted for a complete ban on cell phone use. "Schools that implemented a complete ban reported an increase in socializing during recess, greater use of play areas, the library, and spaces for physical activity," the study's authors note.

The positive impact of the ban was especially noticeable in the second cycle (ages 10 to 12), where bullying decreased in 59% of schools. In secondary school, incidents of indiscipline and fighting decreased in more than 57% of schools. However, in schools where cell phone use remained unrestricted or only partially restricted, the improvement was less significant: between 21% and 31% of classrooms recorded some reduction in conflicts. Classrooms with partial restrictions showed better results (between 33% and 39%).

Before the government issued its recommendations for the 2023/2024 school year, approximately 40% of Portuguese schools had already regulated the use of electronic devices. Last year, that figure rose to over 62%.

Portugal thus joins an international trend supported by studies in several countries that warn of the negative effects of cell phones in the educational environment. In Norway, for example, restricting cell phone use in schools also had a positive effect on the mental health of students, especially girls, with a decrease in psychological consultations and medication related to mental disorders.