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Colombia's School Phone Rules: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
No national ban. Colombia leaves phone rules to each school, which must set them in its manual de convivencia under Ley 2170 of 2021 and 2026 ministry guidance. Bogotá signed a citywide limit in September 2026, applying from 2027.
Ley 2170 of 2021 tells schools to include mechanisms for the proper use of mobile devices in their coexistence agreements, and gives the Ministry of Education the job of issuing technical guidance. In February 2026 the ministry said it would not impose a national ban. Schools may restrict phones at set times or places if the school coexistence committee and governing board approve, with a pedagogical justification.
In 2023 a group of international schools announced a school-day ban, and the ministry left decisions to schools. A bill to regulate phones in schools was reported in Congress in April 2026. On 7 September 2026 Bogotá's mayor and education secretary signed the "(Re)conectarnos para aprender" resolution for all public and private schools in the city, applying from March 2027. Schools have six months to update their manuals.
Bogotá's rule covers classes and breaks. Exceptions cover health monitoring, emergencies and accessibility, and from grade 8 teachers may plan supervised use. Schools cannot stop pupils bringing a phone, and no pupil may be required to own one. It also sets screen-time caps, from none in the youngest classes to two hours a day in grades 6 and 7. Elsewhere, each school decides through its manual.
Whatever your manual de convivencia requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so colegios do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Colombia, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Colombian school ban phones on its own?
Yes, within limits. Ministry guidance lets schools restrict phones at set times or places if the decision is approved by the coexistence committee and board and written into the manual de convivencia with a pedagogical reason.
When does Bogotá's rule take effect?
Reports say it applies from March 2027. Schools were given six months from September 2026 to update their coexistence manuals.
Does Bogotá's rule cover breaks?
Yes. It regulates use during classes and breaks, with exceptions for health, emergencies, accessibility and supervised teaching use from grade 8.
Related reading
School phone bans by country · Phone-free schools toolkit · How to roll out phone pouches in a school
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
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