Many students love smartphones. A phone can call family, play music, and show videos. But school is a place to study. UNESCO says phones should be used in class only when they clearly help learning. In its update on January 24, 2025, UNESCO said 79 education systems, or 40%, had rules or laws banning smartphones in school by the end of 2024. (unesco.org)
Why are schools worried? The answer is focus. OECD data from PISA 2022 show that, across OECD countries, 30% of students said classmates were distracted by digital devices in every or most math lessons. The same report says some digital use for learning can help, but more than one hour a day of fun use at school is linked to lower math scores and a weaker feeling of belonging at school. In Japan and Korea, the number of students reporting this kind of frequent distraction was under 10%. (oecd.org)
Many countries are now making stricter rules. In the Netherlands, phones have not been allowed in secondary school classes since January 1, 2024, and from the 2024–2025 school year the rule also covers primary and special schools. In Brazil, a law signed on January 13, 2025, and effective on January 14, 2025, bans students’ phones during classes, recess, and breaks, with exceptions for learning, emergencies, health, and accessibility. In England, guidance issued on February 19, 2024, supported schools that ban phones for the whole school day; government data said 29% of secondary pupils saw phones used when they should not be used in most or all lessons. (rijksoverheid.nl)
So, should students avoid smartphones at school? For most of the day, yes. A simple rule may be best: no free phone use, but yes when a teacher truly needs it or when there is an emergency. This idea fits the latest advice from UNESCO and many new school rules around the world. Phones are useful tools, but they should not control the classroom. (unesco.org)










