Brazil to Free Classrooms from Invasion of Mobile Phones
HAVANA TIMES – It was necessary to repel the “invasion” of mobile phones in Brazilian classrooms, even to spark a debate about the use of technology in education, according to Silvana Veloso, an educator with extensive experience on the subject.
On January 13, Brazil enacted a law that bans “the use of personal portable electronic devices by students during classes, recess, or breaks between classes at all levels of basic education,” making it the first Latin American country to impose such a nationwide restriction.
An unusual agreement among various opposing political factions allowed the new law to be passed by the National Congress in December 2024. Only a few far-right lawmakers, primarily from the Liberal Party, voted against it.
They wanted students to have access to phones to film “indoctrinating practices” by teachers and expose Marxist ideological activism, which they claim is contaminating Brazilian education. However, even some of their legislators supported the law.
Restricting mobile phones in schools aims to “safeguard the mental, physical, and psychological health of children and adolescents,” as stated in the approved Law 15.100. It includes exceptions for pedagogical use, emergencies involving risks, or health and disability issues.
The new law took immediate effect, with no transition period, and will be enforced starting in February, when the school year begins in this country of 212 million people.
“This law is small and limited, but positive because it mobilizes the community, parents, teachers, and even the school cafeteria staff, sparking debate,” Veloso said. She does not reject technology in schools but advocates for its appropriate use.
As an educator, Veloso led the BH Digital program, a digital inclusion initiative in Belo Horizonte – the capital of the southern state of Minas Gerais, with 2.3 million inhabitants -, from its inception in 2004 until 2012.
The program established telecenters with 10 to 20 internet-connected computers in public institutions like libraries, assistance offices, cultural centers, and NGOs, as well as a mobile unit – a trailer equipped to teach computer classes in neighborhoods.
With 40 of her 60 years dedicated to education, Veloso also served as Secretary of Education for Rio Acima, a municipality of 10,000 residents, from 2022 to 2024. During her tenure, she implemented a technology program in local schools, including robotics labs. She continues to work as a teacher and advisor on the subject.
Rio Acima and many other municipalities received computer equipment, such as desktops and tablets, but lacked the knowledge to use them effectively.
Unprepared Schools and Teachers
Just as with the overwhelming presence of mobile phones, schools and teachers are generally unprepared to integrate new technologies into teaching, Veloso lamented. They have not developed pedagogical projects to incorporate these tools.
Regarding mobile phones, which are owned by a vast majority of students, Veloso has witnessed troubling cases. In response to school violence, which surged in late 2022 and early 2023 – with five assaults and 11 deaths in five Brazilian states – students aged nine and ten in Rio Acima organized self-defense networks via WhatsApp.
Instructions on using kitchen knives to “bleed the bandits” who might invade schools and the preparation of Molotov cocktails were part of the group’s discussions, until a mother found out through the students themselves, Veloso told IPS over the phone from Rio Acima, where she lives.
The leader of the movement was just 10 years old and headed several WhatsApp groups. “They were reproducing the violence” they feared becoming victims of, Veloso noted.
Another earlier case, from 2017, came to light when a student was found with cuts on her arm. It involved girls self-harming, encouraged by a website that promoted competitions among those who could cut themselves the most.
Training, particularly for teachers, to manage and leverage technological innovations is the central challenge facing education, Veloso argued.
“Technology does not cause regression; we are the ones responsible. Humanity has always sought interactive communication. What we have achieved is marvelous – phones that allow us to talk while seeing the other person’s image are fascinating,” but they require debate and dialogue for proper use, she concluded.
The Harm of Mobile Phones
Numerous studies highlight the negative effects of mobile phones on learning, including attention deficits, social media addiction, and increased anxiety among students.
Brazil has become the first Latin American country to pass a law restricting mobile phones in schools, following a global trend. A quarter of the 194 member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have already adopted restrictive measures, particularly in Europe and Asia.
Although the law takes effect in February, its full implementation requires regulations and protocols for schools managed by states (secondary schools) and municipalities (primary schools).
After political consensus, driven by the proven distraction caused by mobile phones in both schools and workplaces, the new law now prompts reflection on pedagogical projects in schools.
“Technology must be introduced into each school in an organized manner, avoiding the current chaos,” said Bernardo Baião, coordinator of Educational Policies at Todos pela Educação, a nonprofit civil society organization advocating for quality basic education in Brazil.
The proliferation of mobile phones, combined with social media, has a cognitive dimension, affecting learning. Students themselves admit that it distracts them from their studies.
“More screen time, less learning,” emphasized Baião, a history graduate turned educator, who has worked full-time for the Todos pela Educação movement in Rio de Janeiro for the past three years.
Other aspects of the technological challenge include the emotional impact on those who “cannot live without social media” and the social interaction aspect of “living and playing at school, making it naturally noisy, without the silence of mobile phones, which bring distant people closer while pushing away those nearby,” he told IPS.
“Technology is not the enemy. We must combine different tools. Printed books are better for memorization, but digital ones are more suitable for personalized teaching, addressing different needs and interests,” he added.
“The teacher is more important than the computer or phone screen; technology cannot replace them,” he stressed.
The ban on mobile phones in schools had already been implemented in many private schools, and four of Brazil’s 26 states had passed their own legislation. In fact, 28% of schools had already adopted a total ban, with few exceptions, by 2023, according to the Internet Steering Committee.
This committee includes government and civil society participants, including academics and industry representatives. It assists in internet governance, maintaining neutrality against political and private interests, and established the core principles of Brazil’s internet law, the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet.
The swift passage of the national law was due to near-consensus in public opinion. A survey conducted by the non-governmental Locomotiva Institute in October 2024 showed that 82% of respondents supported banning mobile phones in schools.