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Uruguay minister backs cell phone regulation in classrooms, not ban
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Elections & Politics

Uruguay minister backs cell phone regulation in classrooms, not ban

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Uruguay's Minister of Education and Culture, José Carlos Mahía, told lawmakers that regulating, not banning, cell phones in classrooms is the best approach.
  • Mahía argued that a complete ban would eliminate pedagogical freedom and fail to account for specific regional and socioeconomic contexts.
  • He proposed that educational subsystems should issue clear directives for pedagogical regulation, emphasizing critical technology use and student participation.

Uruguay's Minister of Education and Culture, José Carlos Mahía, has advocated for the regulation, rather than an outright ban, of cell phones in classrooms. Appearing before the Chamber of Representatives' Education and Culture Commission, Mahía acknowledged the "real problem" posed by the intensive use of electronic devices by students.

Some studies indicate that after using the cell phone, the brain takes up to 20 minutes to refocus on academic content.

— José Carlos MahíaMinister of Education and Culture, explaining the challenges of cell phone use in classrooms.

Citing studies that suggest it takes up to 20 minutes for the brain to refocus on academic content after using a cell phone, Mahía stressed the need for a clear "directive" from the National Public Education Administration (ANEP). He proposed that bodies like Codicen or the various subsystems (Primary, Secondary, and UTU) should establish specific guidelines for "pedagogical regulation" of cell phone use.

The path today must be regulation and not legal prohibition.

— José Carlos MahíaMinister of Education and Culture, stating his preferred approach to cell phone use in schools.

Mahía warned that a legislative ban could undermine pedagogical flexibility, preventing educators from adapting to the diverse realities of each territory and students' socioeconomic backgrounds. "A measure applied rigidly does not always work the same in all scenarios," he stated. The minister believes the most promising path involves a combination of institutional regulation, education for critical technology use, and active student participation.

We believe that the cell phone must be in the classroom, (although) restricted. We have to give teachers tools so they can use the cell phone when they want and restrict it when they need it.

— Agustín MazziniFrente Amplio deputy, expressing his view on cell phone integration in education.

However, some lawmakers hold different views. Deputy Agustín Mazzini expressed that while cell phones should be restricted, they should remain in the classroom for pedagogical purposes. He argued that removing these devices, which offer both risks and opportunities, from teaching could be "risky." Meanwhile, deputy Maximiliano Campo, who introduced a bill to ban portable electronic devices during classes, breaks, and intervals in public education institutions, seeks a general prohibition, though his law includes exceptions for pedagogical use in the classroom.

The kids already know they have the data in their pocket. So taking that marvelous device, with risks and opportunities, out of didactic transposition seems risky to us, to say the least.

— Agustín MazziniFrente Amplio deputy, explaining his concerns about a complete cell phone ban.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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