Mexican Schools to Impose Cellphone Restrictions This Fall

As the 2025-2026 school year approaches, Mexican authorities are moving toward regulating the use of personal electronic devices in classrooms. The Institute of Education of the State of Aguascalientes (IEA) announced it will soon submit a protocol to the State Congress to regulate cellphone use in basic and upper-secondary education, with enforcement expected to begin in October.

Luis Gutiérrez, Director General, IEA, explains that consultation forums involving parents, students, teachers, and school administrators shaped the protocol. The measure aims to prevent devices from becoming distractions during class, which can reduce academic performance, reports El Sol del Centro. 

The regulation will apply to both public and private schools, with exceptions allowing teachers to use devices for instructional purposes.

Under the proposed protocol, students will be required to surrender their phones to teachers during class hours. Phones will be securely stored and returned to students upon request in emergencies. Students may use their devices during breaks or in non-classroom spaces. Gutiérrez says that the policy has broad parental support. 

The proposal complements ongoing legislative efforts at the federal level. PT Deputy María De la Luz introduced amendments to Mexico’s General Education Law to ban the use of personal cellphones, tablets, and smartwatches on school grounds, except for students in special education programs who require adaptive technologies. This legislative push responds to data from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), which reports that 81.4% of Mexicans aged six and older used cellphones in 2023.

International organizations support such restrictions. UNESCO recommends banning cellphones in classrooms to reduce distractions, noting students can lose up to 20 minutes of focus per incident. The WHO warns that excessive screen time can lead to behavioral problems, sleep disorders, depression, and cognitive impairments in children.

Several countries, including Spain, France, China, and the United States, have already imposed limits on device use in schools. Within Mexico, Queretaro became the first state to enforce such a ban in February 2025. 

The proposed protocol says that responsibility for enforcement will involve teachers, prefects, and teaching support staff. Cellphone use is most prevalent in secondary and upper-secondary education levels, according to INEGI data.