Smartphone Ban in Secondary Schools from 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Poh Li San, Sembawang West

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in view of the smartphone ban in secondary schools from 2026 (a) how will schools address parents' concerns about the need for emergency communication with their children; and (b) how will the Ministry ensure that teachers are not burdened with the additional workload to check and enforce the new rules that may compromise classroom teaching time.

Response

1. Mr Speaker, my response will address Ms Poh's question and related oral Parliamentary Questions (PQs) set for subsequent Sittings.
2. To support secondary schools in implementing the tightened guidelines for use of smartphones and smartwatches, the Ministry of Education (MOE) had engaged School Leaders and provided resources such as implementation guidelines, answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and we have also shared good practices by schools that have seen positive outcomes.
3. On enforcement, MOE provides schools with guidelines to formulate their discipline policies and school rules based on their student profile and student needs. Secondary schools already have existing school rules and discipline policies to manage students' smartphone use during lesson time. So, these continue to be applicable with the implementation of the tightened guidelines.
4. Schools also have protocols for emergency communication with parents. Should parents have an urgent message to relay to their children, they can contact the school's General Office and students who need to contact their parents may also do so using phones in the General Office. There is no need for students to own or use a handphone.