Regulations regarding the use of mobile phones in schools are being tightened

The Ministry of Education aims to “maintain order in schools” by tightening regulations on mobile phone usage, which have been in place since 2021. The existing rules already prohibit using mobile phones and other electronic devices with image processing and sound capabilities in school environments.

Under the new regulation, the most severe penalty will be the expulsion of students who post content exposing or ridiculing their classmates on social media during school hours. The same punishment will apply to those who engage in bullying behavior towards their classmates.

According to PISA 2022, one in three students is distracted by their mobile phones during class.

However, the penalties extend beyond bullying. Students will be required to hand in their mobile phones at the start of each class. Any student with a cell phone during class will face a one-hour suspension. The suspension will escalate to a full day for repeat offenses by the same student.

The PISA 2022 exam results indicate that students appear less distracted when turning off their notifications. One in four students reports difficulty concentrating due to their classmates’ mobile phone usage.