Ban on mobile phones in Yerevan schools: city hall proposal
Mobile phones ban in Armenian schools
Yerevan city hall has proposed banning pupils in grades 1–6 from using mobile phones at school, while introducing certain restrictions for older students. Before any final decision is taken, the new rules will be trialled in 15 schools in the capital. The pilot will be monitored to assess the impact on students’ physical and mental health, as well as on academic performance.
It is not yet clear whether the initiative has been coordinated with the education ministry. Asked by local media, the ministry did not confirm this, but said it placed high importance on organising the learning process with modern methods, “which may also include the use of phones during lessons.”
“Bans do not contribute to the development of digital literacy and merely push problems [such as cyberbullying, fraud, data theft and inappropriate content] outside the school environment,” the ministry told journalists.
Many parents commenting on the proposal on social media pointed out that textbooks now contain materials with QR codes and questioned how pupils would be able to study them without phones. Education experts, however, do not see this as a problem, saying students can access the content in classrooms equipped with the necessary technology.
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Details of the city hall initiative
Yerevan city hall is proposing a full ban on phone use for pupils in grades 1–6 during lessons, school events and even breaks.
“In cases where a child has to bring a phone to school, it will be handed to the class teacher at the start of the day and stored in a designated place. It will be returned only after classes are over,” said Margarit Khachatryan, head of the city’s general education department.
For grades 7–12, students would be allowed to use their phones one or two times a week, but only with restrictions. High school pupils could use them strictly for educational purposes, under the supervision and approval of a teacher. The new rules would also cover smartwatches, tablets and other devices.
According to city hall experts and mayor Tigran Avinyan, the aim of the initiative is to ensure students are not distracted from the learning process.
Expert opinions
Education specialist Serob Khachatryan noted that some schools in Armenia already ban mobile phones, but students often find ways around the rules:
“They cheat. For example, they hand one phone to the teacher and keep a second one for themselves. Teachers often realise this but say nothing, thinking it’s better for the student to be on their phone than disrupting the lesson. Care is needed to avoid a situation where some pupils secretly have a second phone while others are banned from using one.”
He argued that if the initiative is approved, the biggest challenge will be enforcing the ban and restrictions.
Commenting on debates over QR-coded materials in textbooks, Khachatryan said codes could, if needed, be accessed via the teacher’s phone in class or at home. He added that he does not see the introduction of QR codes into schoolbooks as a positive step:
“Various experiments have been carried out with digital textbooks and QR codes. They have shown no positive impact on the quality of education,” Khachatryan stressed.
Textbook author Kristine Sogikyan
Textbook author Kristine Sogikyan is convinced that mobile phones distract pupils — something she says she has seen herself, as the parent of a school-age child.
She believes banning phones in class could become an “element of digital hygiene,” protecting children from online bullying, fraud and even exploitation. Younger pupils, she explained, lack sufficient knowledge of media literacy and cybersecurity:
“This must be addressed both at school and at home. I support banning mobile phones both to protect children from cyberbullying and to boost their cognitive abilities and academic performance.”
Sogikyan noted that some Yerevan schools have already banned phones, and insists their students “have not suffered any serious losses as a result.”
She co-authored English textbooks for third- and fourth-graders, which also include QR-coded materials. But she explained that this content can be accessed not only during class with a teacher, but also at home under parental supervision.
In her view, banning phones will not deprive students of access to multimedia learning tools:
“The school can provide devices for use in specific lessons, with access limited to educational resources. This way pupils will not be distracted from the learning process.”
She also stressed that such a change would help pupils’ socialisation, pointing out that much of children’s interaction in recent years has been through mobile and computer games.
As for parents worried about keeping in touch with their children during school hours, Sogikyan suggested they could use basic button phones instead of smartphones.
Mobile phones ban in Armenian schools
Comments from social media
“You put QR codes in the textbooks that students are forced to scan with their phones. Your words and actions contradict each other.”
“First fix the curriculum, and only then start the ‘fight against evil’ — smartphones.”
“QR codes are a minor issue. A teacher can play the material for the whole class, and pupils can review it at home. After all, 35 kids can’t all listen to something via QR code at once during class. This decision is absolutely right, even overdue! Phones should be banned in every grade. In our school the rule has long been: once you enter the classroom, you drop your phone in the box until classes are over.”
“This should have been done earlier. The whole generation is obsessed with phones, literacy is collapsing.”
“Restrictions should be introduced not only in Yerevan but in the regions too.”
“This is a terrible decision. Most parents work, they need to know when their child has got home. Better focus on other important issues — education is in a dire state.”
“In that case, ban teachers from using their phones during lessons too. They can’t put them down even in class.”
Mobile phones ban in Armenian schools
