Brazil has banned students from using mobile phones in schools. The bill was approved on Friday by the Federal Senate of the country’s Congress, the press service of the upper house reported.
Senator Marcus Pontis explained that the use of mobile phones is harmful to the educational process. Schoolchildren do not interact directly, although direct communication is a necessary part of the formation of skills at the end of school, he said. Pontis also noted that this is to protect the mental and physical health of children and adolescents. Exceptions include educational purposes or emergencies.
Senator Rogério Marinho proposed an amendment to the approved bill, limiting the use of phones by schoolchildren only up to grade 9, but the amendment failed to pass in the vote.
According to an independent study, more than half of Brazilian children aged 10-13 own mobile phones, and the figure rises to 87.6% among 14-17 year olds.
Data from the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee shows that nearly two-thirds of schools in the country already impose restrictions on mobile phones, with only 28% banning them completely.
A survey conducted in October by the Locomotiva Institute and QuestionPro found that 82% of Brazilian parents support banning phones in schools.
