Starting in the 2025/26 school year, the Portuguese Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) established a general rule prohibiting the use of mobile phones and any other mobile electronic communication equipment or devices with internet access by primary school pupils throughout school premises and during school hours, including non-teaching periods.

The increasing use of internet-connected devices like smartphones by children and young people in schools has raised concerns about potential negative impacts on learning, socialization, and pupil well-being. Both national and international studies associate excessive use of these devices with social isolation, indiscipline, and risky behaviour.

In the 2024/25 school year, the MECI issued a set of recommendations to schools on smartphones. The use of and/or bringing of smartphones into school premises for pupils in primary education was encouraged to be prohibited. Also, lower secondary schools were advised to implement measures to restrict and discourage the use of smartphones in their school premises.

For upper secondary school students, the MECI recommended to involve them in the joint development of rules for the responsible use of smartphones in school premises.

This set of recommendations was put into effect during the 2024/2025 school year, and afterwards the impact of the different measures adopted by school communities was evaluated:

• At the end of the school year, 79% (Years 1 to 4) and 41% (Years 5-6) of primary schools had banned smartphones.

• Schools reported reductions in bullying, indiscipline and physical confrontation,

• Increases in socialisation, use of play areas, the school library, and participation in physical activities were also noticed.

These observations were provided by both school directors and operational staff supervising students during breaks, with the reported outcomes reflecting their perceptions.

This information was decisive for the current guidelines on the subject, making it necessary to establish clear rules, applicable at national level, that promote safer, more inclusive and learning-friendly school environments.

The newly established rule provides for a set of exceptions allowing the use of such technological devices in duly justified cases for educational, health, or translation purposes, subject to prior authorisation by a responsible teacher or the person overseeing the activity.

To ensure that students can maintain contact with their parents whenever necessary, the free use of basic mobile devices limited to calls and text messages, without Internet access, is permitted without prior authorisation.

For further information:

• For the analysis of the results and the decision process, please check the MECI Press Conference 8th July 2025 (p. 2-14)

• Full text of the document “Recommendations to schools for implementing rules and recommendations on the use of smartphones in school premises”

• Link to information released on social media.

Source: Eurydice Unit Portugal