Overview
- Lo Barnechea Bicentenario in Santiago is piloting signal-blocking cases for eighth graders, letting students keep phones that remain unusable until the school day ends.
- School inspectors are the only staff who can unlock the magnetized cases, a setup students say feels safer than surrendering devices to teachers or lockers.
- Early feedback from students, teachers and parents has been positive, with pupils reporting more time spent socializing and playing sports during breaks.
- The mayor’s office plans to extend the program to all grades at the school and roll it out to other district schools over the next year.
- The Senate education committee has endorsed a bill to regulate digital devices in schools nationwide, as officials cite OECD data on classroom distraction and research linking heavy phone use to anxiety and depression.