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Panama's School Phone Bill: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Not yet. Panama has no national school phone ban. Bill 434, which would regulate phone use in public and private schools, passed first debate in the National Assembly's education committee in October 2025 and still needs further votes.
There is no national law in force. Each school currently applies its own rules, which the bill's backers say leads to inconsistent treatment. Bill 434 would regulate, not ban, mobile phones in public and private schools at basic, premedia and media levels, and would direct the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) to set clear protocols for device use.
The National Assembly's Education, Culture and Sports Committee, chaired by Deputy Jorge Bloise, approved the bill in first debate in late October 2025. It came through the Assembly's citizen participation directorate, with lawyer Virgilio Sousa as proponent. It then moved to second debate in the full Assembly. As of October 2026 we found no report of it passing second or third debate.
As drafted, the bill would allow phone use for teacher-supervised learning, for security reasons and for students with disabilities who need a device for support. Laptops are excluded. Its stated aims are better concentration in class, more direct contact between teachers and pupils, and less cyberbullying. Until it passes, schools set their own rules.
Whatever your rules or Bill 434 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 Panama, 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
Has Panama banned phones in schools?
No. Bill 434 passed first debate in October 2025 and needs further Assembly votes and sanction before it becomes law.
Would Bill 434 be a total ban?
No. Its sponsors describe it as regulation, with exceptions for supervised learning, security and students with disabilities.
Which schools would it cover?
Public and private schools at basic, premedia and media levels, as reported when the bill passed first debate.
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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