Phones in class under question: how the Verkhovna Rada commented on restrictions on gadgets in schools

The topic of using phones, tablets and smartwatches in schools has again come to the public domain after the Verkhovna Rada registered a bill on restricting the use of such devices during the educational process. The discussion revolved around the usual situation for modern schools, in which digital tools simultaneously help with learning, distract children in lessons and remain an important means of communication with parents in times of war. Against the background of this discussion, the parliament voiced a position that the issue of using gadgets needs to be regulated, but decisions can also be made by educational institutions themselves.

What does the bill on banning mobile phones in schools provide for?

The impetus for the new discussion was the bill No. 15105 of March 27, 2026 registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to amend Article 53 of the Law “On Education”. The document concerns the obligations of students and provides for restrictions on the use of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches during the educational process.

The initiator of the bill was People’s Deputy Heorhiy Mazurashu. The proposed approach involves banning the use of such devices in lessons, unless there is an educational or medical need for this. After the document appeared, the topic quickly moved from the level of legislative initiative to the plane of broader public discussion, as it affects the daily lives of schoolchildren, teachers, and parents.

How the Verkhovna Rada reacted

Commentary on this initiative was provided by People’s Deputy Yulia Grishina, who drew attention to the fact that the issue of using gadgets in schools has long been a subject of active discussion in society. According to her, the behavior of children in the digital environment needs to be adjusted, but she does not consider the introduction of a general ban at the level of the law to be a mandatory step.

In her explanation, the deputy emphasized that pedagogical councils have enough tools to determine, together with parents, the rules for using phones and other devices at school. Such an approach, in her opinion, makes it possible to take into account the peculiarities of a particular educational institution, the internal organization of the educational process and the position of families for whom the issue of a child’s access to a phone is of practical importance.

The idea of ​​leaving some decisions at the level of schools themselves is due to the fact that the situation in different educational institutions differs significantly. In some schools, phones are used as an auxiliary tool for working in class, taking tests or searching for materials, in others they become a constant source of distraction, which makes it more difficult for the teacher to keep the class’s attention and maintain the working rhythm of the lesson.

In view of this, the parliament drew attention to the possibility of internal regulation, under which the rules for using gadgets are determined within the framework of a specific educational institution. This model involves the participation of the pedagogical council and the parent community, which allows avoiding the same solutions for all schools without taking into account their conditions and needs.

In the comment of Yulia Grishina, the opinion was separately expressed that the topic of banning gadgets is sensitive for society, since it concerns not only discipline in the lessons, but also the everyday sense of security for parents. Some families may support restrictions during classes, but for many, the presence of a phone in a child is associated with the ability to quickly contact at any time.

Such sensitivity is also explained by the fact that the school has long been operating in conditions where the issue of security is no longer reduced to the usual control over the behavior of students. Any decision to restrict the use of phones is perceived through a broader context in which parents want to maintain operational communication with their child throughout the day.

Such an emphasis shows why the discussion around the bill has gone beyond the usual conversation about discipline in the classroom. For some parents, a school telephone is associated with the ability to instantly receive messages, clarify the child’s whereabouts, or maintain contact in case of an alarm or other dangerous situation.