The first city in China to ban students from using cell phones

The South China Morning Post reported on January 1 that Zhengzhou city authorities have instructed schools to tighten regulations restricting students from bringing phones to school, as well as banning phones from being brought into classrooms except for teaching purposes.

In addition, if students must bring a phone to school, their parents or guardians must submit a request for permission to the school. At the same time, phones brought to school must be returned to the principal and used when permitted.

Chinese students using phones

The ban applies to primary, middle and vocational schools in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. Schools are also required to install public telephones on campus so that students can contact their parents when necessary.

A spokesperson for the Zhengzhou legislature said the decision emphasizes the responsibility of governments, schools and parents to manage children’s phones. The law also recommends that parents monitor their children’s phone use after school hours, “to prevent or overcome students’ addiction to mobile phones and the Internet.”

In 2021, China’s Ministryof Education issued a directive stating that mobile phones are “in principle” banned on school grounds. It required schools to strictly manage their use, provide ways for students and parents to contact each other when necessary, and prohibit teachers from assigning homework via phone or forcing students to use their phones to do their homework.

Before Zhengzhou, Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province (China) had a law on managing the use of phones in primary and secondary schools. However, the regulations in Guangzhou were somewhat relaxed and allowed schools to set their own regulations based on specific circumstances, while Zhengzhou was the first city in China to explicitly ban the use of phones. The Zhengzhou law was passed by the legislature on December 27, 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thanh-pho-dau-tien-tai-trung-quoc-cam-hoc-sinh-dung-dien-thoai-185250101100508074.htm