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Does Indonesia Ban Phones in Schools? What Schools Need to Know in 2026
No, but use is restricted. Circular Letter No. 18 of 2026 from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, issued in July 2026, limits students' phones and smartwatches to teacher-supervised learning. The ministry says devices are strictly regulated, not banned.
Circular Letter No. 18 of 2026 covers schools under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Phones may be used only for learning under a teacher's supervision. Smartwatches are also restricted during lessons. Principals may use lockboxes or storage cabinets and are encouraged to adapt their own school rules. The circular also limits laptop use to one day a week.
The ministry issued the circular in July 2026. Minister Abdul Mu'ti said the aim is for students to use digital technology wisely and for learning, not to impose an outright ban. The deputy minister described the goal as training students not to depend on gadgets. A circular is guidance to schools rather than a law, so detail varies by school and region.
Some schools already collect devices: students at one Jakarta senior high school hand in gadgets before lessons. The ministry encourages face-to-face play and sport at breaks. For families it promotes a '3S' approach: screen time limits by age, screen-free zones such as bedrooms and dining tables, and regular screen breaks. Sanctions are left to schools.
Whatever the rule in Indonesia requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so SD, SMP and SMA schools do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Indonesia, 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
Are phones banned in Indonesian schools?
No. Circular 18/2026 restricts phones to teacher-supervised learning but the ministry says it is not an outright ban.
Can schools collect phones at the start of the day?
Yes. The circular allows principals to use lockboxes or storage cabinets and to adapt their school rules.
Does the circular set penalties?
No national penalties were announced. Schools set their own rules and sanctions.
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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