Students hold their cellphones before entering school in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb 5, 2025, on the first day of a national ban that restricts the use of smartphones in elementary and high schools. The ban already existed in Rio, but students were allowed to keep their phones in their backpacks. — AP
SAO PAULO: Brazilian students returned to class this week with a new task: staying away from their smartphones as a new law restricting their use in schools took effect.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a bill in January limiting smartphone access at schools, in line with a trend seen in the US and Europe. It applies to public and private schools, and applies to classrooms and the halls.
