Quintana Roo Schools to Ban Cellphones During School Day From November 3

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Cellphones, tablets and other smart devices will be barred throughout the school day in Quintana Roo’s basic-education schools starting November 3, under a national agreement the state’s Education Secretariat has been tasked with enforcing.

The Secretariat of Education of Quintana Roo (SEQ), headed by Perla Corona Noriega, said the agreement covers public and private schools across the National Education System and is aimed at ensuring the responsible and safe use of personal digital devices and learning technologies.

Officials said President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo promoted the measure and all 32 state education authorities backed it unanimously. A national consultation held August 24-28 drew more than 500,000 participants from the education sector, the Secretariat said.

Complete ban in basic education

In basic education — early childhood, preschool, primary and lower secondary — the use of cellphones and electronic devices such as tablets and iPads will be fully restricted for the entire school day, including class time and recess.

Devices may be used only for pre-approved educational activities with a defined teaching purpose and under teacher supervision, or for personal emergencies, disability, accessibility, inclusion, health or other particular needs.

High schools and universities set their own rules

At the upper-secondary level, each campus will define its own limits for safe and responsible use. Options include a designated storage area where devices are deposited at the start of the day, use restricted by time and place, a total ban during the school day, or scheduled use on specific weekdays as a learning tool.

Storage arrangements in upper secondary can be adopted through an agreement of the school community, which would also determine where the devices are kept.

In higher education, schools will promote the responsible and safe use of cellphones and other devices throughout the school day in line with agreements reached by each school community.

Enforcement

For basic education, noncompliance will be handled through the school coexistence framework, which sets out the measures principals may apply. In upper secondary and higher education, rules will be drawn up through agreements with the school community.