Ho Chi Minh City restricts students from using cell phones from October: Reason for piloting 16 schools

On October 9, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City held a meeting to deploy a pilot plan to limit students' use of mobile phones and electronic devices during recess at educational institutions.

Students of Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (Sai ​​Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) during recess. This is one of 16 high schools piloting the restriction of students' use of mobile phones.

PHOTO: T.D.N

Accordingly, the pilot activity to restrict students from using mobile phones and electronic devices during recess will officially be implemented in 16 schools, starting from October 2025 until the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year (around early January 2026). These are the schools in the following table:

List of 16 schools piloting restrictions on students using mobile phones during recess

PHOTO: HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

It is known that the scale of schools in Ho Chi Minh City after the merger is about 1,628 general schools. According to Ms. Cao Thi Thien Phuc, Head of the Student Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, there are many criteria to select 16 pilot schools to implement the regulation of restricting students from using mobile phones.

Specifically, these 16 units represent 16 professional clusters, including 5 junior high schools, 7 high schools, 1 multi-level general school, 2 vocational education and continuing education centers and 1 continuing education center. A total of about 30,000 students from 9 inner-city schools and 7 suburban schools participated in the pilot. At the same time, these are general schools with dynamic principals, responding to the organization of diverse activities during recess.

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training is piloting a program to limit students' use of cell phones and electronic devices during recess.

PHOTO: BAO CHAU

After receiving the implementation plan, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City required schools to carry out 5 contents: Disseminate, propagate, and promote policies to cadres, teachers, staff, students and parents. Survey students about the activities they wish to participate in during recess; Build a healthy school environment, limit the use of mobile phones; Issue regulations and procedures for managing students' mobile phones; Pilot implementation when all conditions are met.

According to the requirements of the Department of Education and Training, schools need to design activities that suit students' wishes during recess, focusing on 3 groups of activities: physical activities, static activities, activities serving learning purposes and other entertainment needs.

For quiet activities, schools can organize games such as chess, reading, drawing, organizing reading corners...

For activities serving learning purposes and other entertainment needs, schools may allow students to use phones and smart devices for learning purposes and entertainment needs. These activities are organized in groups and must be permitted by teachers in designated areas.

At the end of the pilot period, 16 schools reported on the implementation results, clearly stating the advantages, difficulties, and lessons learned before replicating them throughout the industry.

Previously, at the beginning of the new school year, when assigning the Student Affairs Department to develop content to limit students' use of mobile phones during recess, Dr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that in the 2024-2025 school year, many schools have implemented not allowing students to use mobile phones in school, but it is not consistent and does not have the absolute support of parents. In this school year, Ho Chi Minh City will implement the regulation that students do not use mobile phones in school. Mobile phones can only be used during class time when teachers allow it according to regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. If students need to use mobile phones, the school must ensure a free communication channel for students.

Mr. Hieu added: "HCMC has implemented the Happy School program for the third year, but during recess, each student has a corner and uses a mobile phone, which will 'break down' the relationship between students and between students and teachers. I hope that during recess, students will be comfortable and have fun to recharge their energy for the new lesson, not that each student is in a separate world . The habit of using a phone is a big obstacle for students to interact with relatives, teachers, and friends."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-han-che-hoc-sinh-dung-dien-thoai-tu-thang-10-ly-do-thi-diem-16-truong-185251009165430543.htm