Mexico Debates Cellphone Rules as Students Return to School

As Mexican students returned to classrooms, parents and officials faced a familiar dilemma: cellphones can help families stay connected in an emergency, but they can also pull students away from their lessons.

The government is considering rules governing when, how, and under what exceptions students may use mobile devices in basic education schools. The Education Ministry consulted teachers during August as part of the discussion.

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a double-edged sword

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said Monday that 81% of respondents supported guidelines to ensure that devices serve safe and educational purposes. Another 48% said cellphones make it harder to keep students’ attention, while 38.7% said conflicts that begin on social media eventually reach the classroom.

Parents outside Secondary School 32 José María Morelos y Pavón in Mexico City largely supported restrictions, but some said phones provide reassurance. César Rodríguez described them as “a double-edged sword,” since a child can contact a parent immediately during an emergency, while the device can also become a distraction.

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it is a distraction

Eva Cerecero said she does not allow her son to take a phone to school because “it is a distraction.” Paola Flores, whose daughter travels daily from Tizayuca in Hidalgo, takes the opposite view. She said the phone is only for keeping track of her daughter, adding, “with everything that is happening, with children going missing and people not knowing where they are, I would much rather know where my daughter is.”

At the school, students have stored their phones in boxes at the start of the day and collected them when classes end for several years. Director Ricardo De León said the school would follow any new rules, but enforcing a total ban could be difficult if students hide their devices.

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with everything that is happening, with children going missing and people not knowing where they are, I would much rather know where my daughter is