The Department for Education and Universities of the Balearic Islands has announced a new regulation that bans the use of mobile phones and other personal electronic devices in non-university public and state-subsidised schools. This measure, which will come into effect in the 2025–2026 academic year, will be published in the Butlletí Oficial de les Illes Balears (BOIB) on Tuesday, 20 May.

Teenager with mobile phone

The new Order states that students will not be allowed to use mobile phones or other personal electronic devices during the entire school day. This ban includes lesson time, break times, extracurricular and complementary activities, as well as school trips.

Exceptions:

  • Students in secondary education and post-compulsory education may use these devices exclusively for educational purposes, when school devices are not available, and always under justified pedagogical criteria.
  • Individual exceptions may be granted for medical reasons or other specific personal circumstances, with prior authorisation from the school.

Corrective measures:

  • In the case of inappropriate use, the school may apply corrective measures, such as confiscating the device, which must be switched off by the student at the time.

Higher vocational training, special regime education and adult education

Schools offering higher vocational training, special regime education or adult education may adapt the implementation of this Order during non-teaching periods within the school day. Therefore, each school’s rules of organisation, operation and coexistence must set out the conditions and requirements for student use of mobile phones and the consequences of non-compliance with these rules.

A measure based on experience and consensus

The new Order consolidates the guidelines applied during the 2024–2025 academic year in public schools—which, until now, were only recommendations for state-subsidised schools—and establishes a mandatory framework for all publicly funded schools, according to the regional government. The Convivèxit service, under the Department for Education, has given a very positive assessment of the previous implementation, highlighting a significant reduction in conflicts related to mobile phone use in schools.

The regulation has been widely discussed in the negotiation and dialogue committees, as well as in the School Council of the Balearic Islands. With this measure, the Department aims to strengthen school coexistence, ensure a more suitable learning environment and provide clear guidelines for all schools across the islands.