The Ministry of Education and Universities will send guidelines to all schools in the Balearic Islands on the guidelines to be implemented, from the start of the 2024/2025 school year, in schools regarding the regulation of the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices in the rules of organisation, operation and coexistence of the centre.

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Educació sends guidelines to all schools in the Balearic Islands on the use of mobile phones in schools

In the case of public schools, the documents to be sent are instructions, and in the case of state-subsidised schools, they are recommendations. In any case, the content of the text is the same and follows the same guidelines as the order that is currently being processed.

It should be remembered that an order must be complied with by all publicly funded schools. Thus, the Regional Ministry of Education and Universities has opted for this formula even though it will take longer to process. Thus, once the order regulating the use of mobile phones in schools has been approved, it will come into force; in the meantime, schools have a series of recommendations and instructions identical to those contained in the order.

Thus, this document explains that pupils in pre-primary and primary education may not use mobile phones during the school day, recreational activities and complementary activities.

As for secondary and post-compulsory education, the use of mobile phones by students during the school day is limited to specific moments expressly provided for in the school’s educational project and for exclusively didactic purposes.

The document also includes exceptions for pupils in all cycles in justified and accredited medical cases. Teachers are also recommended to restrict the use of mobile phones during teaching sessions with pupils. Teachers are advised to refrain from personal, recreational or non-educational use, unless there are family or personal circumstances that make it necessary.

In terms of corrective measures, the guidelines to be sent to schools include the possibility of removing the mobile device from the pupil. This measure may be applied by any teacher at the school or a member of the management team. Before the device is removed, pupils should be asked to switch it off. The withdrawn mobile phone will be deposited in the office of one of the members of the school management team, where it will be kept until it is returned to the legal representatives of the pupil concerned at the end of the school day.

In addition, the document to be sent by the Regional Ministry of Education and Universities also states that communications between teachers and pupils must take place within the scope of the educational function and not be carried out via instant messaging applications. Families are not obliged to authorise the school to notify minors by e-mail or mobile phone.

It should be recalled that last year the Regional Ministry of Education and Universities presented a draft document on the use of mobile phones in schools in the Balearic Islands to all the relevant committees. A whole series of proposals were collected, including those from entities outside the education roundtables. Some of these proposals have been incorporated into the recommendations and instructions sent to schools for the start of the 2024/2025 school year, and will also be included in the order.