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Are Phones Banned in Ghana's Schools? The SHS Rule in 2026
Yes, in senior high schools. The Ghana Education Service bans students from having mobile phones in senior high schools under its code of conduct. The ban is long-standing, and in May 2025 Parliament's education committee told heads to enforce it strictly.
The rule is a Ghana Education Service (GES) policy set out in its code of conduct, not an act of parliament. It bars senior high school (SHS) students from having mobile phones in school. Published reports do not give the date it was first adopted. It applies to second-cycle schools. Sources found do not describe a separate national rule for basic schools or list exemptions.
The ban has been debated for years. In 2017 a deputy minister said lifting it was under consideration, and in 2020 the GES said it was reviewing its bring-your-own-device rules. Neither led to a change. In May 2025 the teachers' association NAGRAT called the ban ineffective and asked for a national policy on regulated use. Days later, Parliament's Select Committee on Education told heads to enforce the GES policy firmly.
Enforcement falls to heads, housemasters and housemistresses, and is often weak. NAGRAT's president said that at some schools over 98% of students have phones, some hidden in cut-out Bibles. Critics point out that government gives SHS students tablets for study while banning phones. The parliamentary committee asked heads to be firm with students who break the rule.
Whatever the rule in Ghana requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so senior high schools do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Ghana, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you already have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Which schools does the ban cover?
The GES ban applies to senior high (second-cycle) schools. Reports do not describe a separate national phone rule for basic schools.
Is the ban being lifted?
Not so far. Lifting or relaxing it was discussed in 2017, 2020 and 2025, but in May 2025 Parliament's education committee told heads to enforce it strictly.
Does the ban cover school-issued tablets?
No. Government has distributed tablets to SHS students for study while the ban on personal phones remains.
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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