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Vietnam's School Phone Ban: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Partly. Since 2020, the Ministry of Education and Training's Circular 32/2020 bars students from using mobile phones in class, except for learning with the teacher's permission. Rules for breaks are set locally, and some cities now collect phones for the whole day.
Circular 32/2020 of the Ministry of Education and Training sets the national rule for schools it governs. Students must not use mobile phones during lessons unless it serves learning and the teacher allows it. The circular does not clearly cover recess. A separate ministry document, Official Letter 5512, says schools cannot require students to own a phone.
The national rule dates from 2020. Since then, cities have tightened it. Hanoi began restrictions in October 2024. In July 2025 Ho Chi Minh City's education department began work on a plan to bar phone use at recess from the 2025-2026 school year. Experts have called for a single national rule because practice differs by locality.
In Hanoi, students hand in phones at the start of the day and collect them after school, and some schools have installed lockers. Hai Phong, Bac Giang and Thai Nguyen use similar collection systems. Ho Chi Minh City's plan asks schools to organise sport and social activities at break instead. Reported public support for these local bans has been strong.
Whatever the rule in Vietnam requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so lower and upper secondary schools do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Vietnam, 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 national rule cover breaks?
Not clearly. Circular 32/2020 covers use in class. Cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have added their own rules for breaks.
Can a teacher allow phones in class?
Yes. Circular 32/2020 allows phone use in class for learning with the teacher's permission.
Can schools collect phones for the whole day?
Yes, where local rules allow. Hanoi students hand in phones at the start of the day and some schools use lockers.
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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