Just weeks into the new school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered all its regional directors and school heads to strictly enforce DepEd Order No. 6, s. 2026, which bans cellphones and other gadgets during instructional hours.
A day later, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian renewed his push for the Electronic Gadget-Free Schools Act, which he refiled in the 20th Congress as Senate Bill No. 627. If passed, it will prohibit gadget use by K-12 students in all public and private schools nationwide, with exceptions for teacher-directed activities, health conditions, and emergencies.
The public seems sold. A Pulse Asia survey in June 2024 (see table below) commissioned by Gatchalian found that 76% of Filipino adults favor banning cellphones in schools, with majorities across all regions and income classes.
Image from Senator Win Gatchalian website
We’re hardly alone. By UNESCO’s count, fewer than 1 in 4 countries restricted smartphones in schools in 2023. By early 2025 it was 40%, and today 114 education systems, or nearly 3 in 5 countries, have some form of national ban. France banned phones in primary and middle schools as early as 2018. The Netherlands followed in 2024.
