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Buenos Aires Tightens School Phone Rules: City Bans Devices in Secondary Classes as Province Enforces Primary Ban

Citing evidence of digital distraction, officials will limit classroom tech to school-owned devices under teacher supervision.

Overview

  • Buenos Aires City’s Resolution 258 prohibits students and teachers from using personal phones during secondary classes, with limited exceptions for disability, illness or specific support needs.
  • Secondary schools must produce internal regulations, define phone storage procedures, inform families, and conduct digital activities only with institutional equipment under teacher oversight.
  • Use during recess remains barred in initial and primary levels for the full day, while secondary schools will set their own rules for breaks with encouragement to promote active alternatives.
  • The Province of Buenos Aires has begun implementing Ley 15.534 in primary schools across public and private sectors, affecting roughly 1.5 million students for the entire school day.
  • School-level measures are advancing, including a campus‑wide ban at state EES 58 in Mar del Plata from April 1 with printed manuals for coursework, as authorities point to PISA/Aprender findings and City data showing 94% of secondary students bring a phone daily.