SEP and UNESCO agree on rules for digital devices in schools, including social media and AI

Mexico’s Education Ministry and UNESCO have agreed to work together on rules governing digital devices, social media and artificial intelligence in schools. The letter of intent will support the design of policies for their responsible and safe use.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said 17 states had already introduced measures in this area. The ministry is working with state authorities to define clearer rules for schools, while drawing on the experience accumulated by those states.

Delgado warned that digital platforms are designed to hold users’ attention. “We need to understand what happens behind the screens and how digital platforms are designed, whose algorithms can use artificial intelligence to learn our habits, offer us content that captures our attention and prolong the time we remain on them,” he said.

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We need to understand what happens behind the screens and how digital platforms are designed, whose algorithms can use artificial intelligence to learn our habits, offer us content that captures our attention and prolong the time we remain on them.

He said the issue was especially sensitive for younger generations. Although he recognized technology’s benefits for teaching and learning, Delgado said it must remain at the service of people. He also said digital citizenship education should protect critical thinking, humanism and the best interests of children under Mexico’s New Mexican School model.

The agreement includes technical assistance, studies, recommendations, training for students, teachers and school administrators, and an exchange of experiences. UNESCO Deputy Director-General Lidia Arthur Brito said the partnership would support public policy design and strengthen the national education system’s capacity for digital transformation. Delgado said the agreement should help build awareness and consensus while using technology’s benefits without allowing its risks to harm education, coexistence or children’s development.

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The Letter of Intent that we are promoting with UNESCO represents an important step toward raising awareness, building consensus and making informed decisions, so that we can take advantage of technology’s benefits without allowing its risks to affect education, coexistence and the comprehensive development of our girls, boys and adolescents.