- The measure also extends to other electronic equipment such as laptops and tablets | Photo: Jose Daniel Ramos @danielj2511
The government of Nicolás Maduro revealed that for this 2024-2025 school year it began to implement a pilot plan to regularize the use of cell phones in public schools in Venezuela.
Maduro reported in his program With Maduro+, that this measure has already been implemented in 100 high schools and schools. He added that the plan is going “very well.”
However, he did not offer details on how they are implementing this plan in schools or if it involves an outright ban on the teams.
“School attention and the production of knowledge and capabilities have increased. Sociability and exchange between boys and girls have increased, the anxiety of the anxious generation and violence have decreased,” he stated in the program broadcast on Monday, November 11.
A measure that extends to laptops and tablets
The measure will not only target cell phones, but also laptops and tablets. Maduro announced that this plan is coordinated with the Minister of Education, Héctor Rodríguez.
“The issue of the harmful influence on the minds of children and young people that these electronic devices have. It is already a global issue,” he confirmed.
Likewise, he assured that 66% of Venezuelans believe that the use of cell phones should not be allowed in schools and neither should social networks.
“It is an important issue, the concerns are seeing children and the influence they are receiving (…) The influence on social networks is very strong because there is a lot of dependence on the telephone,” he added.
Regularization of social networks
Although this is the first time that the government has established a plan to regularize social networks in schools, they have already made reference to this measure in general.
In August 2024, a group of deputies from Venezuela announced that they were working on a law to regulate social networks.
The measure took place after Nicolás Maduro pointed out the American WhatsApp and Instagram and the Chinese TikTok as instruments “multipliers of hatred and fascism.”
Since August 8, the government of Nicolás Maduro ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) block X in Venezuela.
“X leave Venezuela for 10 days, so that they can present requests and establish the definitive administrative measure, but enough is enough, enough is enough of trying to sow violence, hatred, of trying to attack Venezuela from the outside,” he asserted. However, three months later, users on the social network detail that they must activate a VPN to be able to enter.
After the July 28 elections, Nicolás Maduro accused the South African businessman who owns X, Elon Musk, of being involved in a “cyber coup” against him.
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What are the reasons behind the Venezuelan government’s decision to restrict electronic devices in schools?
The Venezuelan government, led by Nicolás Maduro, has initiated measures to restrict the use of electronic devices, including cell phones, laptops, and tablets, in schools. This initiative is designed to address the perceived negative influence of these devices on children and to reduce dependence on social networks.
According to Maduro, a significant portion of the Venezuelan population—66%—believes that cell phone usage and social networks should be prohibited in educational settings. The government is collaborating with the Minister of Education, Héctor Rodríguez, to implement this plan.
Additionally, there are plans to regulate social networks within schools. In August 2024, Venezuelan deputies announced efforts to create legislation aimed at regulating social media platforms, which Maduro criticized as tools that propagate “hatred and fascism.” This regulatory effort coincides with the government’s order to block access to certain social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) in Venezuela.
the government views the influence of social networks as a pressing issue that requires immediate action to safeguard children and youths from harmful content.
