In a decisive turn aimed at reshaping the learning environment in secondary schools, the Oyo State House of Assembly has called for a sweeping ban on the use of personal mobile phones by students during school hours across the state. This resolution was passed during a lively sitting of the Assembly held on April 15, 2025, where lawmakers rallied around a motion titled, “Need to Ban the Use of Mobile Phones in Secondary Schools to Improve Student Discipline and Better Academic Performance.”
Rising concerns over declining student focus, growing indiscipline, and the rising tide of distractions fuelled by unchecked phone usage prompted the Assembly’s bold move. Legislators stressed that while mobile technology holds undeniable benefits, its misuse within the classroom setting has become a disruptive force, hindering learning and fostering a culture of indifference among young learners.
According to the resolution, the House urged the Executive Arm of Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, to immediately enforce the ban across all public and private secondary schools in the state. Lawmakers emphasized that the policy must be implemented with firmness and consistency to restore decorum and enhance the academic atmosphere within schools.
In addition to curbing phone usage, the House proposed that school administrations should establish official communication channels to handle emergencies. The idea is to create structured platforms that allow parents to contact their wards when absolutely necessary, without dragging learning activities into chaos or encouraging the flouting of school rules.
Mrs. Taiwo A. Muraina-Akinola, Clerk of the House, conveyed the Assembly’s decision in an official communication addressed to the Secretary to the State Government. The memo directed attention to the Permanent Secretary (Cabinet and Special Services), requesting swift action to give life to the legislative directive.
Stakeholders in education, including school administrators and parent-teacher associations, have already begun reacting to the development. While some commend the move as a timely intervention to reclaim the sanctity of the classroom, others call for a balanced approach that also sensitizes students on responsible digital habits rather than an outright clampdown.
As the state awaits the Executive’s formal adoption and rollout of the policy, conversations continue to buzz across Oyo’s educational sector. Many observers believe that the step, if properly executed, could set a precedent for other states battling similar challenges of student distraction and academic underachievement.
With student discipline and academic excellence at the heart of the Assembly’s latest move, Oyo State appears set to draw a clear line between learning and leisure, ushering in what many hope will be a new era of focus, orderliness, and scholastic achievement within its secondary school system.
