The ban on cell phone use by students in public and private schools in the state of São Paulo, both during classes and recesses and breaks, was unanimously approved this Tuesday (12) in the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly (Alesp).

The prohibition applies to all basic education, that is, from early childhood to high school. The approval took place in the Alesp plenary session. The bill now goes to Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) for sanction.

Officially, his office reports that the bill will be evaluated by the technical area, but the governor has already indicated to allies that the measure will be sanctioned. The bill was widely supported by the governor’s base, and several deputies from his party were co-authors of the proposal.

The text approved in São Paulo establishes that, in the case of the public network, the municipal and state education departments must define protocols for storing cell phones throughout school hours. It also mandates the creation of accessible communication channels for parents to contact schools. The measure takes effect 30 days after its sanction and publication in the Official Gazette, which, in practice, means it should be in force at the start of the next school year. With this, São Paulo is set to become the first Brazilian state to ban cell phones in schools.