Mexico to regulate cellphone use in schools after teacher consultation

Mexico is preparing to regulate cellphone use in schools after a large teacher consultation found broad support for formal rules. The Education Ministry said 81% of 565,396 participating teachers backed measures to ensure that technology serves safe and educational purposes.

The consultation took place during an intensive meeting of school technical councils before the return of millions of students for the 2026-27 academic year. More than 1.6 million teachers and about 250,000 schools are involved in the new school cycle.

Teachers described phones and other devices as a growing presence in classrooms. Nearly 40% said students bring cellphones to school, while 24% reported smartwatches. Forty-eight percent said phones make it harder to maintain students’ attention, 38% said they interrupt school activities, and 34% said students give up some forms of social interaction while focusing on their devices.

The consultation also pointed to problems extending beyond the classroom. Some 38.7% of teachers said they had seen conflicts that began on social media move into schools. Half of respondents proposed protocols for risky situations and agreements with parents on technology access and use.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said officials would continue reviewing the findings before setting national guidelines. The ministry will also launch the ABC of Emotions program, including guides for students, teachers and families and one weekly session on emotional health in secondary schools and high schools. In Mexico City, Mayor Clara Brugada announced the deployment of 15,000 police officers around schools, crossings, streets and public transport during the return to classes.

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We will continue reviewing this week to see what guidelines we will have, based on what the teachers and education authorities say.