Sunday September 7, 2025
Representative Image: UNESCO warns that smartphones serve as a distraction that can impact classroom learning. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Banadir regional education directorate has banned students from bringing smartphones to schools, saying the devices undermine both learning and discipline.
The directive, announced Sunday, follows resolutions from the Jowhar communiqué and bars students from carrying smartphones during class hours. Officials said the measure is intended to reduce classroom disruptions and protect student conduct.
In a statement, the directorate urged parents to support the decision by working with school administrators to ensure compliance. “As part of implementing the Jowhar communiqué, we informed schools in the Banadir region that students are not allowed to bring smartphones. The aim is to limit their harmful effects on education and morals,” the statement said. “We ask parents to work closely with schools and do their part in ensuring compliance.”
Officials present the ban as part of a wider attempt to shore up Somalia’s fragile education system, still scarred by years of war and neglect. Banadir, which encompasses Mogadishu and the country’s busiest schools, has long been the testing ground for reforms, giving its decisions an outsized influence on classrooms nationwide.
Somalia is not alone in wrestling with the role of mobile phones in the classroom.
In France, children up to the age of 15 have been barred from carrying them to school since 2018, with even tighter restrictions now coming into force. Finland, the Netherlands and Brazil have also introduced nationwide bans, echoing worries about dwindling attention spans and fragile mental health. Across North America, provinces in Canada and states such as California, Florida and New York have moved in the same direction. New York City recently enforced a bell-to-bell ban for almost a million pupils, citing falling performance and the need to restore concentration. Advocates say the devices fracture lessons, fuel bullying and stunt social skills, while supporters of restrictions point to calmer classrooms and students more willing to engage.
