'Draconian' and 'backward': New secondary school smartphone ban draws scepticism from students, teachers
Students and teachers have questioned the effectiveness of the Ministry of Education's (MOE) stricter rules on smartphone usage in secondary schools, that were announced on Nov 30.
From Jan 2026, secondary school students will not be allowed to use smartphones and smartwatches outside of lesson time, including during recess and co-curricular activities (CCAs), the Straits Times reported.
This is a step up from current restrictions which only prohibit phone usage during lesson time.
Minister of State for Education Jasmin Lau said in an Instagram post that the measures aim to help students develop lifelong healthy digital habits, and urged parents to support the changes.
'It'll just be the same as before the ban': Student
Students and teachers that Stomp spoke to felt the ban would do little to deter students from using their devices.
"Even if teachers monitor during the break, people will still secretly use, and won't get caught," said a 16-year-old student who declined to be named, noting that some schools have already implemented stricter measures. "It'll just be the same as before the ban. We just continue to use it secretly."
On the subreddit r/singapore, many netizens were similarly sceptical about the effectiveness of tighter measures, while others questioned the need for such a ban. Some argued that restricting phones during lessons was reasonable, but extending the rule to recess and CCAs was excessive.
"So the child is uncontactable even by parents for most of the day? At this point, just say that kids are not allowed to be human and must focus only on the education that enables them to become wage slave robots for the remainder of their lives," one netizen said.
On subreddit r/SGExams, netizens shared similar sentiments, calling the rules "draconian" and "backward". Several commenters suggested that banning phones would not necessarily cultivate healthier screen time habits, but might push students to use their devices even more at home.
Another reddit post detailing tips for students to work around new restrictions while maintaining their screen time has also surfaced on the subreddit.
Enforcement will be a challenge
A former primary school mathematics teacher who only wished to be known as Ms Teo, acknowledged that the ban could help students rely less on their phones, but stressed that enforcing the rule would be difficult.
"Who's going to enforce this?" she said. "The ban only creates more work for teachers to make sure they don't use their phones."
Ms Lim, a former secondary school English teacher, concurred, noting that students often find ways to circumvent the rules by using their Personal Learning Devices (PLDs), or devices like tablets and laptops given to all secondary school students to support teaching and learning.
Ms Tang, a lower-secondary English and literature teacher, added that students often use their PLDs to play games during school hours, despite restrictions.
Encourages students to interact with peers
Not everyone is against the new measures. A 16-year-old student who declined to be named told Stomp that the ban might encourage students to interact more with their peers.
"People tend to stop talking to their friends during recess, everyone's just so focused on their phones," she said.
The student added that light punishments are often insufficient to deter students from using phones, suggesting that a ban might be more effective. "We use it so often to the point where teachers get tired of scolding us about it," she commented.
TikToker @rryanang agreed that the ban might benefit students by improving social skills and encouraging students to "touch some grass". He also called for students to bring back the "OG recess experience" of playing catching and soccer with friends.
Ms Tang added that she fully supported the ban, saying that students do not need their phones in school as teachers can contact their parents directly.
"Students do not have self-control," she told Stomp.
"I have had parents complaining that their children are on their phones 24/7 during the holiday, but they don't establish any guidelines for screen time at home, so children carry those habits into school contexts."
