Chile bans non-emergency smartphone use by children while at school

SANTIAGO, Chile, December 6 ------ Chile's parliament approved a law banning the use of smartphones by pupils on school premises, the latest country to restrict such access over concerns for children's mental and physical health.

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The law was approved by a large majority in Chile's Chamber of Deputies and is expected to be enacted soon by President Gabriel Boric, who had supported the initiative. It will come into effect in March next year in all public and private primary and secondary schools, plagued by "a scourge that... constitutes one of the main pandemics affecting our children and young people," according to Education Minister Nicolas Cataldo.

Lawmaker Diego Schalper, an author of the bill, said mobile phone use in children is associated with online addictions and "affects the educational process in classrooms." Colleague Marcia Raphael added that the move sought to boost "concentration, performance, community life, and emotional health" in young people.

In the future, students will only be able to use a smartphone if they have special educational needs, in case of an emergency, or if they have a medical condition that requires constant monitoring. Other countries that have restricted smartphone use in schools include Brazil, Finland, South Korea, Italy, and France.

According to UNESCO, by the end of 2024, 40 percent of schools worldwide have banned smartphone use to varying degrees, up from 30 percent a year earlier.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com