From January 2026, secondary school students in Singapore will be prohibited from using smartphones and smartwatches outside of lesson time, including during recess and co-curricular activities (CCAs), as part of enhanced guidelines on screen usage.
Currently, students are only restricted from using these devices during regular lesson time. Under the new guidelines, which will also apply to supplementary, enrichment, and remedial lessons, restrictions will mirror those introduced for primary school students in January 2025.
The revised guidelines, announced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on 30 November, are part of a broader initiative to help students and their families develop healthier digital habits. MOE stated that students’ devices will be required to be stored in designated areas, such as lockers or school bags, during school hours.
Smartwatches will be included under the new guidelines, as they allow for communication via messaging and access to apps like social media, potentially causing distractions and reducing interaction with peers. “Where necessary, schools may allow students to use smartphones by exception,” the Ministry stated.
A ministry spokesperson highlighted that some secondary schools had already adopted the tighter guidelines following their introduction for primary schools, with positive results such as improved student well-being, enhanced focus, and increased physical interaction during breaks.
Additionally, the MOE announced that the default time for personal learning devices to be locked each night will be brought forward to 10:30pm, from the current 11pm. This measure, which will be implemented from January, ensures that devices are in sleep mode from 10:30pm to 6:30am, helping students manage device usage before bedtime and encouraging earlier sleep.
Since 2021, secondary school students have been issued personal learning devices, which are school-approved tablets or laptops, mainly iPads or Chromebooks. Each device is equipped with a management application that allows schools to block access to inappropriate content, such as pornography and gambling, and set screen time limits.
Parents have the option to adjust the settings on their child’s device outside school hours, either by adhering to default settings, modifying them, or disabling the management application entirely, which would relax the default screen time limits.
MOE also strongly encouraged parents who have opted for less restrictive settings to consider aligning with the new 10:30pm device lock time.
Minister of State for Education, Jasmin Lau commented on the revised guidelines in an instagram post, noting that while technology has become an integral part of education and daily life, there is a need to strike a healthy balance. “Habits form early, and these changes will support students in developing lifelong healthy digital habits,” she said. She also shared her concerns as a parent, expressing how even preschool-aged children are already curious about screens.
She assured that further details on the rollout of the revised guidelines will be communicated through secondary schools, including via start-of-year talks, student handbooks, school websites, and parent briefings.
A ministry spokesperson clarified that schools have the autonomy to create their own discipline policies to align with MOE’s guidelines in a way that suits their student profile and context. In cases of misuse, schools typically engage with students and parents to address the issue and help students manage their device use responsibly.
For students in junior colleges or the Millennia Institute, who are expected to have developed sufficient self-management skills, the use of smartphones and smartwatches may be allowed with explicit permission during lessons. However, to minimise distraction, the use of such devices outside lesson time should still be regulated.
The MOE’s announcement follows a revision of the Ministry of Health’s screen use guidelines in January, which recommended no screen time for children under 18 months and limited screen time for children aged 7-12 to less than two hours daily, excluding schoolwork.
The authorities also launched the Grow Well SG initiative, a national health promotion strategy aimed at helping children with eating, sleeping, learning, exercising, and bonding.
A government survey published in September revealed that about a quarter of teenagers aged 13-17 spent more than four hours daily on digital devices during weekdays, with this number increasing to nearly half on weekends.
At the National Day Rally in August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong committed to further supporting parents and making online spaces safer for children, encouraging parents not to use phones as a ‘babysitter.’
As part of this effort, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced two initiatives under Grow Well SG on 30 November, a series of digital parenting programmes and a new children’s book on digital wellness.
The ministries stated that digital parenting programmes will be rolled out until 2026 in collaboration with community partners, including Look Up Family, TOUCH Community Services, and YouthTechSG. These programmes will initially be offered in areas with a higher concentration of young families, before expanding to other regions.
The ministries explained that the programmes would cater to families with children and youth aged 0 to 18, with different sessions tailored for various age groups.
Further details on the programmes, including registration information, will be shared through local community networks. On 30 November, Look Up Family conducted a pilot workshop in Bukit Batok, where parents discussed their digital parenting challenges and shared advice.
In a separate initiative, the Families for Life Council launched a new book, Timmy & Tammy: Guide To Digital Wellness, at the Bedok Public Library. Aimed at children aged 3-8, the book introduces local characters and offers guidance on how to navigate online content safely, make responsible choices, and balance digital activities with non-screen interactions. It will be distributed to families under the ComLink+ scheme through social service offices.
