Ho Chi Minh City to ban mobile phones in schools, even at recess

The policy, announced by Nguyen Van Hieu, director of the city's Department of Education and Training, at a meeting on July 7, is expected to take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

Officials say the ban aims to help students focus more in class and connect better with friends. Schools will also be encouraged to organize activities during break times so students can exercise, play sports and socialize.

Students leave their mobile phones to a supervisor before entering a classroom in Ho Chi Minh City for their high school graduation exam, June 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Le Nguyen

Several schools in Ho Chi Minh City have already banned the use of mobile phones, including the High School for the Gifted, a top high school in Vietnam.

Principals reported that while students were initially unhappy, they soon became more attentive in lessons and spent breaks playing and talking instead of staring at screens.

In Hanoi, schools collect students' phones before the first class and return them at the end of the day.

A VnExpress survey in October 2024 found that 83% of nearly 3,600 respondents supported banning phones at school.

Studies back the policy. A UNESCO research in 2023 across 14 countries found that smartphones distract students from learning, with some taking up to 20 minutes to refocus after using them. Excessive phone use also affects children's emotional stability. UNESCO has called for bans to reduce classroom disruptions, improve learning and protect children from cyberbullying.

Countries like France, Greece, Hungary and Denmark have recently tightened such restrictions.

Currently, Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training allows students to use phones in class for learning if teachers permit it, and they are not banned from using phones during breaks.