From January 2026, secondary school students in Singapore will not be allowed to use smartphones and smartwatches outside lesson time, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on November 30.
The tightened rules cover times such as recess, co-curricular activities (CCAs), and other school periods outside regular lessons.
Until now, device use for secondary pupils was restricted only during lesson time. The new rules extend restrictions to supplementary, enrichment and remedial lessons too. This brings secondary school rules closer to the limits already applied to primary pupils since January 2025.
Under the revised guidelines, students must keep personal devices in designated storage areas such as lockers or school bags during school hours. Smartwatches have also been included because they allow messaging and app access, which can cause distractions, passive screen use and less interaction with peers, it said.
MOE added that some secondary schools had already put similar measures in place after the primary-school rules. These schools reported positive outcomes such as better student well-being, improved focus and more physical interaction.
The ministry will also move forward the default nightly lock time for personal learning devices by half an hour. From January, devices will go into sleep mode from 10.30pm to 6.30am, instead of the current 11pm lock. MOE said this change can help students to manage device use before bedtime, and nudge them to sleep earlier.
Since 2021, secondary school students have been given school-sanctioned personal learning devices, which are usually iPads or Chromebooks. Each device has a management app that lets schools block harmful content and set screen time limits. Outside school hours, parents can choose to keep default settings, change them, or disable the management app entirely.
MOE strongly encouraged parents who have chosen less restrictive options to consider aligning with the new 10.30pm default.
Minister of State for Education Jasmin Lau said on Instagram: “While technology has become part of our education system and can be helpful in our day to day life, we need to find a healthy balance and recognise that habits form early.”
MOE said more details on the roll-out will be shared through schools via start-of-year talks, handbooks, school websites and parent briefings. Schools have the freedom to set discipline policies that suit their students and context.
On Sunday, the government also announced digital parenting programmes and a children’s book on digital wellness under the Grow Well SG strategy. These programmes will be rolled out with community partners from now until 2026.
