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Smartphones in secondary schools
From January 2026, secondary students cannot use smartphones or smartwatches at any time during school hours, including recess and CCAs. Devices stay in lockers or bags.
- Status
- Restricted
- Country
- Singapore
- Category
- Products
- Banned since
- 2026-01
- Last checked
- 01/11/2026
Secondary school students in Singapore cannot use smartphones or smartwatches at any time during the school day. From January 2026, the Ministry of Education (MOE) extended its existing ban on phones during lessons to cover recess, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and supplementary, enrichment and remedial lessons.
Key facts
- Status: restricted during school hours
- Announced: 30 November 2025
- In force: January 2026
- Applies to: secondary school students
- Devices: kept in lockers, designated storage areas or school bags
- Exceptions: schools may allow use where necessary
What changed in 2026?
Before 2026, MOE guidelines only stopped secondary students from using smartphones and smartwatches during lesson time. Under the tightened rules, phones must stay stored away for the whole school day, including breaks and after-school programmes run by the school. Students can still bring their phones to school, but cannot use them until school activities end.
MOE also brought forward the default “sleep” time on students’ school-issued learning devices from 11pm to 10.30pm.
Why is Singapore restricting phones in schools?
MOE said the measures aim to help students build healthier screen habits and support their well-being, as part of the national Grow Well SG health strategy launched in January 2025. Officials and parents have pointed to concerns about sleep, focus and social interaction among teenagers who spend long hours on screens.
What happens if students break the rule?
Schools apply their own discipline policies, which already covered phone use in lessons. Consequences can include confiscation of the device. Some schools also check phones when students are involved in disciplinary cases.
Is Singapore alone in this?
No. Several countries restrict phones at school; France, for example, has long restricted phones in schools for under-15s. Other governments are going further with age limits on social media, such as Australia’s ban on accounts for under-16s. See our guide to countries where social media is banned.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Are phones banned in Singapore schools?
In secondary schools, yes during school hours. Since January 2026, students cannot use smartphones or smartwatches during lessons, recess, CCAs or remedial classes.
Can students bring phones to school in Singapore?
Yes. They can bring them, but the devices must stay in lockers, designated storage areas or school bags until school activities end.
Are there exceptions to the school phone ban?
Yes. MOE says schools may allow students to use smartphones by exception where necessary.