The measures are included in the program of the XXV Constitutional Government, delivered to the Assembly of the Republic by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Carlos Abreu Amorim.

In the chapter dedicated to Education, Science and Innovation, the Executive essentially reaffirms the goals and measures foreseen in the previous program, some of which were interrupted following the fall of the Government, such as the review of the Statute of the Teaching Career, a process that the team led by Fernando Alexandre wants to conclude by the end of the legislature.

One of the new features, however, has to do with the rules for the use of cell phones in schools and, in this context, the Government intends to implement “effective measures”.

The government program foresees the ban on smartphones from the 1st to the 6th grade of school, that is, until the age of 12.

In the 3rd cycle, the objective is to “promote a culture of limited, responsible and adapted use” and from the 10th grade onwards, students will have greater freedom in the use of cell phones, with only “responsible and adapted use” being foreseen.

The measures are already in force currently, but in the form of recommendations, issued at the beginning of the 2024/2025 school year and whose application would be evaluated to support a decision by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI).

The conclusions on schools’ adherence to the recommendations on the use of cell phones in schools should only be released at the end of the school year.

Currently, the definition of rules for the use of cell phones is in the hands of schools, within the scope of the internal regulations, an autonomy defended by the School Council last year.