Rio de Janeiro prohibits cell phone use in classrooms on the municipal network

The city of Rio de Janeiro decided to prohibit the use of cell phones in classrooms in the municipal education network. The determination was published in a decree and began to be valid this Monday (7).

According to Decree 53,019 of 2023, cell phones and other electronic devices must be stored in the student’s backpack or bag, turned off or on in silent mode and without vibration. The devices cannot be used either inside the classroom or when there are pedagogical activities outside the classroom, during individual or group work.

According to the decree, cell phones can only be used for educational purposes, as long as it is authorized by teachers. The use of the cell phone may be for research, reading, or even access to Rioeduca material, offered by the city hall, or other content or service. With permission, the student must use the devices silently and in accordance with the teacher’s guidelines.

The use of cell phones is authorized only for students with disabilities or health problems who need these devices for monitoring or some type of assistance.

Parents and guardians, according to the decree, must guide students on the proper and timeless use of technological devices and reinforce the importance of not using the device at school when unauthorized.

The prefecture’s decision was based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), that until the age of 2 children are not exposed to screens and, from 2 to 5 years old, have less than an hour of screen time. per day.

In addition, the measure also follows the recommendations of the Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in Education: a Tool at the Service of Whom? from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) which showed that prolonged screen exposure can negatively affect self-control and emotional stability, increasing anxiety and depression.