Overview
- The Secretaría de Educación Pública published an agreement in the Diario Oficial de la Federación that takes effect on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and prohibits student cellphone use during the entire school day in initial, preschool, primary and secondary schools.
- The rule applies to public and private schools and allows exceptions for emergencies, disability or other duly justified situations while giving each school authority to set procedures to collect and safeguard devices during the day.
- SEP guidance asks teachers to avoid using phones in class but stops short of requiring staff to hand over personal devices, a gap that leaves many schools uncertain about teacher obligations and day‑to‑day enforcement.
- School directors report immediate implementation problems including some parents refusing to cooperate because phones are their main contact with children, outdated emergency contact numbers, and unwillingness by staff to act as custodians for devices.
- The measure is driven in part by incidents of cyberbullying and reputational harm cited by school staff, and SEP plans periodic reviews while enforcement and liability rules for lost or damaged phones will depend on each school’s procedures.