16 schools pilot phone-free recess, students will play... all kinds of games

During recess, students will participate in many folk games, sports, cultural and artistic activities of their choice led by the school.

Students of Luong The Vinh Secondary and High School, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City play mandarin's square during recess - Photo: THUY HANG

From October 2025, Ho Chi Minh City will start piloting phone-free recess at 16 public schools in the area. During this recess, students will be able to participate in many folk games, sports , cultural and artistic activities of their choice led by the school.

It is not until now that schools in Ho Chi Minh City have a policy of not allowing students to use phones in school. Many schools in recent years have had interesting ways to make students' playtime more lively, attractive, and healthy.

After 2 years of implementing the model of phone-free recess and controlling students' phone usage, we have seen clear results in students: they are very focused on their studies and have a healthy mental life, they are happy when they come to school, participate in group activities better and connect better with friends and teachers.

Ms. Huynh Thi Thuy Hang (Vice Principal of Luong The Vinh Secondary and High School)

Creating an attractive playground

From the 2024-2025 school year, Nguyen Thai Binh Secondary School, Binh Phu Ward, has banned students from using cell phones on school grounds. From then on, instead of entertaining on phones, recess at school becomes a time for "healthy" play, encouraging physical activity and group play.

At school, students have a wide variety of activities during recess. They can participate in traditional folk games and physical activities such as jumping rope, tug of war, hopscotch, shuttlecock kicking, etc. Each week, the school can choose a typical game to organize during recess for students.

Students can also participate in optional sports activities such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, soccer, modern dance. The school yard at recess is divided into many sports areas for each type.

Besides, students can also participate in the creative corner and art corner or read books at the green library, Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space or can also play musical instruments, sing and dance in the school yard during recess.

Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Hong - Principal of Nguyen Thai Binh Secondary School - said that after a year of implementation, 100% of the school's students now participate in such phone-free recess. They feel very excited about playing sports, reading books, singing and dancing, playing folk games... with friends.

"To build a healthy recess that encourages physical activity and collective play, the school does not negatively prohibit students, but creates a more attractive playground where they find real joy and connecting values.

In addition to setting clear regulations on phone use, the school pays special attention to educating and raising students' awareness of appropriate phone use. In addition, the school also promotes small competitions between classes to increase students' interest in participating in group activities.

We also set up landline phones in convenient locations such as the security room, the supervisor's room, and the medical room so that students can contact their parents when necessary, or if parents want to contact their students, it is easy even during class hours through the homeroom teacher or the supervisor's room," Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Hong informed.

Create conditions for students to pursue their passion

Luong The Vinh Secondary and High School, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, is one of the schools that will apply "no-phone recess" from the 2023-2024 school year. Accordingly, each day, students will have 25 minutes of recess in the morning and 25 minutes of recess in the afternoon to participate in group activities with friends.

Children can participate in folk games such as tug of war, checkers, plant care or other activities such as modern dance, singing and dancing, basketball, table tennis, badminton and soon pickleball...

To encourage students to participate in group activities and connect with friends, Luong The Vinh Secondary and High School has allowed students to register to participate in group activities that they like. In addition, the school also organizes competitions between groups to make students more excited about the games.

Specifically, each week, students have 2 days to register for activities that they like to play and activities during recess. This registration is sent to the supervisor in charge and the school will evaluate so that students can play as they wish.

"There are groups of classes that want to sing new songs together; there are groups of classes that like to dance new dances; there are classes that want to perform on stage... The school will evaluate those contents and during recess there will be musical equipment or other means to support the children in their activities.

Therefore, the students are very excited to participate in these activities. After a period of implementation, their spirit of connection is much better, they are active and very happy to come to school" - Ms. Huynh Thi Thuy Hang, Vice Principal of the school, said.

According to Ms. Hang, since 2004 the school has established a rule that students are not allowed to bring cell phones to school. Later, especially when technology vehicles started to be introduced and classes involved the use of electronic devices, the school had a different policy on cell phone use.

Instead of banning cell phones from school like before, the school has allowed students to bring cell phones to school but will have a mechanism to monitor students' proper use of cell phones.

Specifically, when students arrive at school, they will have to hand in their phones to the supervisor in charge. During class, if there are periods where phones must be used, the subject teacher will be responsible for taking the phones from the supervisor for students to use during class. After using the subject, the phone will be collected by the teacher and handed in to the supervisor.

Increase physical activity for students

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that from October 2025, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City will pilot phone-free playtime at 16 high schools in the area.

Starting from January 2026, 100% of schools will apply phone-free recess. Schools are the ones to come up with reasonable plans to organize phone-free recess, aiming to increase students' physical activity in order to give them healthy recess. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will encourage and reward schools that do well.

MY DUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/16-truong-thi-diem-gio-choi-khong-dien-thoai-hoc-sinh-se-choi-du-tro-20250919222756588.htm