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Secondary school students will no longer be allowed to use their phones in school starting next year
From January 2026, secondary school students will not be allowed to use smartphones and smartwatches outside of lesson time, such as during recess and co-curricular activities (CCAs), as part of tightened guidelines on screen use.
Currently, they are limited in their use of these devices only during regular lesson time.
The new tightened guidelines, which will also cover supplementary, enrichment and remedial lessons, align with the restrictions put in place for primary school pupils since January 2025.
The revised guidelines by the Ministry of Education (MOE) are part of a series of initiatives announced on Nov 30 to help children and their parents develop healthy digital habits.
MOE said in a statement that students’ devices will have to be kept in designated storage areas such as lockers or in their school bags during school hours.
Smartwatches fall under the guidelines as they enable communication through messaging and access to apps including social media, which can lead to distractions, passive screen use and reduced interaction with peers, it added.
“Where necessary, schools may allow students to use smartphones by exception,” the ministry said.
A ministry spokesman said some secondary schools had adopted these tighter guidelines after they were announced for primary schools, with positive outcomes. These included improved student well-being, enhanced focus, and more physical interaction during unstructured time such as breaks.
MOE said it also would bring forward the default time that personal learning devices are locked nightly to 10.30pm, from the current 11pm. This will kick in from January, meaning the devices will be on sleep mode nightly from 10.30pm to 6.30am.
“This can help students to manage device use before bedtime, and nudge them to sleep earlier,” it said.
Since 2021, secondary school students have had their own personal learning devices, which are school-sanctioned tablets or laptops – mostly iPads or Chromebooks.
Each personal learning device has a device management application installed on it, which allows schools to block access to undesirable internet content, such as pornography and gambling, and set screen time limits.
Outside of school hours, parents can opt for their child’s personal learning device to either keep to default management application settings, operate on modified settings, or disable the application entirely, which means the devices’ default screen time limits can be relaxed.
MOE said it strongly encouraged parents who had opted for less restrictive options to consider aligning with the 10.30pm shift.
Commenting on the revised guidelines, Minister of State for Education Jasmin Lau said in an Instagram post that while technology has become part of the education system and can be helpful in daily life, “we need to find a healthy balance and recognise that habits form early”.
The changes, she said, will support students in developing lifelong healthy digital habits.
She added that as a parent, she is concerned about the environment children grow up in.
“Even at pre-school age, my kids are already curious about screens and know how to swipe if given a screen,” she said.
Ms Lau said more details on the roll-out of the revised guidelines will be communicated through respective secondary schools.
The ministry spokesman added that this could be through start-of-year talks in schools, student handbooks, school websites and parent briefings.
Schools are given autonomy to formulate their discipline policies and school rules to align with MOE’s guidelines, to suit their student profile and the context, he said.
For misuse of smartphones and smartwatches, he added, schools typically work with students and engage parents to address the underlying issues and develop strategies to help students manage their use of these devices responsibly.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, he said those in junior colleges or Millennia Institute are expected to have developed sufficient self-management skills and discipline to use personal smartphones and smartwatches responsibly in school.
However, to minimise distraction, the use of these devices during lessons should still be restricted, and explicit permission should be given by the teacher. Device use outside of lesson time may be allowed when needed.
MOE’s announcement follows an update to the Ministry of Health’ screen use guidelines in January, which included, for instance, not allowing children under 18 months any screen time, and limiting screen time for those aged seven to 12 to less than two hours a day outside of schoolwork.
In that month, the authorities launched Grow Well SG, a national health promotion strategy aimed at helping children eat, sleep, learn, exercise and bond well.
A government survey published in September found that for teens aged 13 to 17, about a quarter of them spent more than four hours daily on digital devices during weekdays, with the number rising to nearly half on weekends.
At the National Day Rally in August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Government will do more to support parents and make online spaces safer for children, and encouraged parents not to use phones as a babysitter.
To that end, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced two initiatives under Grow Well SG on Nov 30 – a series of digital parenting programmes, and a new children’s book on digital wellness.
The ministries said a range of digital parenting programmes will be rolled out from now until 2026, in collaboration with community partners, who will conduct the workshops in various modalities such as workshops and webinars.
These partners include Look Up Family, a digital wellness community that aims to help families manage digital life, TOUCH Community Services and YouthTechSG, a charitable movement dedicated to empowering young people in technology.
The ministries said the programmes will first be offered in areas with a higher proportion of young families, before they are expanded elsewhere.
Spokespersons for MDDI and MSF said workshops and talks are designed to support families with children and youth aged 0 to 18, with different programmes catered to families with children of different age ranges.
They added that more information on the programmes, including sign-up details, will be disseminated through local community networks.
On Nov 30, Look Up Family ran a pilot workshop in Bukit Batok, where parents shared about their digital parenting challenges and tips.
Separately, a new book called Timmy & Tammy: Guide To Digital Wellness was launched at the Bedok Public Library, by the Families for Life Council.
The book, targeted at children aged three to eight, features local characters and guides children on navigating online content safely, making responsible choices, and balancing digital and non-screen activities. It will be distributed to families under the ComLink+ scheme through social service offices.
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The Oyo State Police Command has announced an operational success recorded following an intelligence-led operation.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command intercepted a truck conveying materials suspected to be explosive devices during a stop-and-search operation in Saki, Oyo State. The truck and the suspected materials were promptly secured and are currently in police custody.
Upon receiving a briefing on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Femi Haruna, immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Consequently, specialised personnel of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit were deployed to safely secure the items for safekeeping and forensic examination. Detailed forensic analysis has since commenced, alongside a thorough and robust investigation to determine the exact nature of the items and their intended use.
The truck driver has been taken into custody and is cooperating fully with investigators as efforts continue to unravel all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Commissioner of Police commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his unwavering support, strategic leadership, and continued provision of operational guidance that enhance proactive, intelligence-driven policing across the country.
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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940
One person has died and another sustained injuries following an assault by suspected armed bandits in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING
According to sources, the attack took place on January 24 around 4:00 p.m. along the Amoke–Odugbo road in Ukpogo Village, Edikwu Ward.
The victims, identified as Mr Joseph Okoh and Miss Aneh Sunday, both from Ogodumo, Adoka in Otukpo LGA, were reportedly riding a motorcycle when the assailants struck.
“They were rushed to the Comprehensive Health Centre, Ugbokpo, where Mr Okoh was confirmed dead while receiving treatment. Miss Sunday is currently admitted and responding to treatment,” the source stated.
Nigerian troops were quickly deployed to the area, and a search operation in the surrounding bushes is ongoing to apprehend the attackers.
“The Criminal Investigation Department has commenced an investigation into the incident,” the source added.
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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has scrapped special concessions and registration procedures previously granted to candidates with albinism for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, citing abuse of the privilege to perpetrate examination malpractice.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING
The Board also warned faith-based tertiary institutions to clearly declare their religious status at the point of admission, saying it is deceptive to present as secular and later impose religious rules on students.
As reported by Vanguard, these decisions were taken on Saturday at a meeting between JAMB management, led by its Registrar, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, and Commissioners for Education from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Oloyede said the meeting was convened to review and assess previous admission exercises.
He noted that despite safeguards introduced by the Board, some individuals remained determined to circumvent the system.
“We have stopped some concessions we gave albino candidates. This is because some are using artificial intelligence to manipulate the registration process to look like they are albinos because of the consideration we gave them.
“Last year alone, over 7,000 claimed to be albinos. We have stopped special registration procedures for albinos,” he said.
Addressing complaints from candidates admitted into some private institutions over compulsory religious instruction, Oloyede urged faith-based schools to be transparent.
“Faith-based institutions should declare from the onset what they are, so that whoever applies there will know what he is going to meet there. But some don’t do that. They will pretend to be secular, but once students are admitted, trouble will begin over religious instruction and injunctions.
“If you are a faith-based institution, say so. The law allows you to set up faith-based schools,” he said.
On last year’s UTME, where the highest-scoring candidate was later found to be a 300-level university student, the JAMB registrar said investigations showed that some undergraduates sit for the examination to change courses or assist others to secure admission.
“Students who are already in school but want to change courses and are applying again must declare and disclose their status.
“We have found that some candidates already in school are writing the examination for other candidates. Last year, the candidate who scored the highest was found to be a 300-level student in the university.
“Henceforth, any candidate found engaging in such an act, and who fails to disclose that he is already in school but wants to change course, will be disqualified and will also lose his current admission,” he said.
On admission criteria, Oloyede explained that federal government-owned institutions allocate 45 per cent on merit, 20 per cent on catchment area, 20 per cent to educationally disadvantaged states, while the remaining slots are allocated to other considerations.
“Each owner or state has the right to decide what its admission criteria will be. But for states, we encourage them to allocate at least 10 per cent to merit, regardless of where the candidates come from.
“This is to diversify the student population and admit eggheads from different communities,” he said.
He criticised some states for establishing new universities despite not fully utilising their admission quotas in existing federal institutions.
On underage candidates, Oloyede said 16 years remained the minimum admission age, noting that an attestation process was in place for exceptional cases.
“Last year, about 42,000 claimed to be underage. After evaluation, only 78 met the criteria and were admitted. We are not saying there are no talented candidates, but the figure looks outlandish,” he said.
The issue of how to engage underage candidates during a gap year divided opinions at the meeting, but a majority voted for JAMB to continue its special assessment process.
The meeting also observed that parental pressure on children to complete their education too quickly was a major contributor to the problem.
On efforts to curb examination malpractice, Oloyede said JAMB had stopped the movement of computers between Computer-Based Test centres.
“A computer registered in a particular centre will remain there and is not transferable to another centre. Some people borrow computers to get accredited and later move them around,” he said.
He dismissed claims that candidates were posted to towns they did not choose, saying personal data used for registration were drawn directly from the National Identification Number submitted by candidates.
Providing an update on the 2025 UTME, Oloyede said 974,855 candidates had so far been admitted out of about 1.95 million who sat for the examination.
He added that over N2.4 billion had been disbursed to institutions that consistently complied with JAMB’s rules over the past 10 years, and that the meeting agreed that schools producing the best candidates should be compensated.
On accreditation of CBT centres, Oloyede said the process involved teams comprising university vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts in each state.
He warned state governments against agreements with private promoters who might use centres to facilitate malpractice.
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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940
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