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Kazakhstan's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Yes, during lessons. A law signed by President Tokayev in February 2024 bans students in general secondary schools from using mobile phones during the educational process. New Ministry of Education rules on how schools apply it take effect on 9 October 2026. Breaks are left to schools.
The ban comes from a law signed on 23 February 2024 amending education legislation on education, mentoring and child safety. It bars mobile device use during the educational process in general secondary schools, except where a teacher uses it for a learning task. Students may contact parents outside lessons. Ministry rules approved in September 2026, in force from 9 October 2026, apply to all secondary schools whatever their ownership.
The ministry first planned to cover grades up to 7, but the final rules apply to all students. Under the new rules, phones must be silent or off before a lesson and used only for teacher-directed tasks, medical needs or emergencies. In February 2026 Mazhilis deputies proposed extending the ban to breaks and handing enforcement to the ministry. Many parents objected. As of October 2026 that change had not been adopted.
Schools write the details into their internal rules. Options include handing phones to the teacher, keeping them in bags or placing them in special boxes, and schools may set up storage areas. They must also set out how parents can reach a child urgently. Reports say parents receive a warning for a first violation and a fine of about 20,000 tenge for repeats. Some schools still use phones to pay in canteens by QR code.
Whatever the 2024 law requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the school does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Kazakhstan, 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
Does the ban cover breaks?
Not nationally. The law and 2026 rules cover lessons, and each school decides about breaks. A proposal to extend the ban to breaks was under discussion in the Mazhilis in 2026.
Are there exemptions?
Yes. Phones may be used for teacher-directed learning tasks, medical needs and emergencies.
Can parents be fined?
Reports say parents get a warning for a first violation and a fine of about 20,000 tenge for repeat violations.
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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