What the new rule says
Students at the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires may no longer use mobile phones, tablets or other personal electronic devices while classes are being taught. The prohibition is already in force, and pupils must keep their equipment inside their backpacks and switched to silence throughout academic activities. The school's Consejo Escolar Resolutivo approved the change as Resolution 12/2026, and rector Valeria Bergman formalized it through Resolution 712/2026. The text adds a new subsection to the institution's internal regulations barring personal electronic devices during lessons.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S6]
Why the school acted
School authorities argued that the restriction is meant to safeguard students' attention and to preserve the classroom as a setting for learning and socializing. According to the institution, constant notifications produce frequent interruptions, weaken concentration on lesson content, multiply distractions and damage interaction among classmates during breaks. In a statement released on 23 October, the school said it did not want attention or student participation in class to decline, nor the classroom and the Colegio to lose their role as a space for socializing.[S1]
Alongside the ban, the school announced an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging responsible use of technology and healthy digital habits. The only exceptions contemplated cover health situations, accessibility needs or pedagogical activities defined by teachers.[S1]
The Buenos Aires precedent
The Nacional's move follows earlier steps by the City of Buenos Aires across its education system. In August 2024, the city's Ministry of Education limited mobile phone use in the initial and primary levels. Then, in March 2026, it broadened the measure and declared classrooms free of phones and personal devices at every educational level. Head of Government Jorge Macri backed the policy, describing the phone as a source of distraction inside schools.[S1][S4]
The data behind the debate
A 2025 study by the Unidad de Evaluación Integral de la Calidad y Equidad Educativa (UEICEE) found that 7 in 10 primary pupils and 6 in 10 secondary students felt they learned better and paid more attention without a mobile phone. The results also showed that more than half of students said they talked more with classmates after restrictions were introduced. Internationally, the OECD's PISA 2022 report found that 54% of Argentine students acknowledged losing attention in class because of their phones, against an average of 30% across the organization's member countries.[S1]
The decision also raises questions about the future of other UBA pre-university establishments, such as the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini and the ILSE, which have so far not announced similar measures.[S1]
