Background on the Issue
The Mexican state of Jalisco’s Congress is debating a proposal to ban cell phones in schools to shield students from being lured into criminal activities by drug traffickers.
This initiative came after the discovery in early March of a purported recruitment camp for a cartel on a farm located in Teuchitlán, a municipality west of Jalisco. The site was found to contain clothing, objects, and even burnt bone fragments.
The Teuchitlán Case: A Catalyst for the Ban
The uncovering of a farm used for recruitment and training of hitmen in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, shocked families of missing persons who made the discovery. The site was reported to function as a “killing field” for criminal organizations, though the attorney general’s office stated it was a training center for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Some relatives identified belongings of their loved ones who went missing after responding to fake job offers received via their mobile phones.
Querétaro: The First to Implement a Ban
Querétaro’s Integral System for the Protection of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents (SIPINNA) approved guidelines in February to prohibit students from using mobile devices during class hours in both public and private basic and upper-secondary schools.
The aim was to “foster safe and secure digital environments for the prevention, attention, and protection of the human rights of girls, boys, and adolescents in basic and upper-secondary education institutions in Querétaro.”
However, Beatriz Pérez Ortiz, the executive secretary of SIPINNA Querétaro, clarified that cell phone usage in educational settings would only be allowed for educational purposes or in emergencies.
Nuevo León’s Progress on Cell Phone Ban
Nuevo León also proposed in February a measure to restrict cell phone usage in educational institutions only for educational or emergency purposes.
The goal is to enhance concentration, encourage social interaction, reduce cyberbullying, promote learning, protect privacy, and minimize visual strain for children, youth, and adolescents in schools.
Over three months since the initiative by Perla Villarreal Valdez, who presented a motion to the Education Law for the Secretariat of Education to establish guidelines on cell phone usage within classrooms, July Mendoza García, president of the Nuevo León Parents’ Union, supported regulating cell phone usage in schools.
Global Trend: Banning Cell Phones in Schools
According to UNESCO, 79 countries have already decided to ban smartphones in classrooms, as restricting technology in schools can enhance learning, privacy, and mental health.
Countries like France, China, Italy, New Zealand, and Brazil have successfully implemented this protective measure. In some nations like the Netherlands, the ban extends to tablets and smartwatches.
