EDUCATION experts have welcomed the government's proposal to ban the use of smartphones for students under 16 as part of an immediate measure to address safety issues in schools.
Former Education Director-General Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said this was because there was no need for students to use smartphones either at school or at home.
He said the use of gadgets could also have a negative impact on students as it disrupted their concentration at school.
"If they need to contact their parents, students can use the public phones available at school," he told Sinar Harian.
He added that the use of smartphones exposes students to unhealthy content such as violent or pornographic videos.
"It is also harmful because of the existence of various online gaming applications," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Alimuddin, the proposal to ban the use of smartphones for students under 16 years of age needs to be discussed thoroughly and involve the views of various stakeholders.
He explained that the move is important to ensure that the government can determine the appropriate methods and approaches to enforce the ban. - October 18, 2025
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