The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, promulgated legislation that prohibits the use of smartphones in schools up to the 9th grade. The measure had been announced about a month earlier by the education minister, who justified the decision with the international trend and the results of a survey conducted among school principals.
According to the official, educational establishments that restricted mobile phone use registered more socialization among students and fewer episodes of indiscipline. In the previous school year, the prohibition was mandatory only for students in the 1st and 2nd cycles, although about half of the schools that teach the 3rd cycle had chosen to voluntarily adopt the same rule.
Schools will now have the first school term to prepare for adaptation to the new rules, with the entry into force of the measure scheduled for January 1, 2027. António José Seguro also promulgated the decree approved in Council of Ministers that complements this legislation.
