The director of a school in the municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis, located in the district of Aveiro and within the Metropolitan Area of Porto, has announced the extension of a mobile phone ban. Previously, students were restricted from using phones during class time unless permitted for academic purposes. However, as of January 6, this policy now also applies to break periods.
“In recent years, we noticed that students were very disengaged during breaks, always glued to their mobile phones, which led to a lack of interaction. As we walked through the corridors, there was silence, because although full of students, they were all on their phones,” recalled António Almeida Figueiredo.
Initially, the new strategy sparked protest among the students, but the director noted that after an initial “one or two days of ‘withdrawal'”, students quickly adapted to the new rules. The school facilitated this transition by providing a variety of recreational alternatives, including educational games, board games, card decks, and two ping-pong tables.
While the ban is not directly aimed at improving academic grades, it has achieved noticeable success during breaks: “There is a lot of noise and action — the students have become more lively.”
Elisabete Barnabé, president of the Parents’ Association of Escola Ferreira da Silva, mentioned that some parents initially opposed the change, but the majority accepted what they generally considered “a bold measure.”
Maria Antunes and Miguel Costa, both 12th-grade students, shared positive feedback about the first three months of this policy. Maria, who is studying Science and Technology, believes the change has led her peers to “socialize much more” and has created “a better environment” at the school. Miguel, from the Socioeconomic Sciences course, admitted that despite his initial “shock” at the announcement, he gradually accepted it.
“Previously, there was an impulse to grab the phone and quickly check something, whether in a class or a corridor, or to make a call. Now, I grab a snack at the cafeteria, talk with my friends, socialize a bit, sometimes play cards, and that’s it. Socializing! People have started to get to know each other more face-to-face — not through mobile phones,” he explained.
