Students across all government schools in the Cayman Islands are banned from carrying mobile phones and other personal electronic devices capable of communication or connectivity.
The ban takes effect from the first day of the 2026/2027 academic year on 26 August, according to a government press release.
Education minister Rolston Anglin announced the policy at the Education Professionals’ Welcome Event held at the John Gray High School Gymnasium.
He said the move came in direct response to concerns raised by both teachers and parents over the effect of personal devices on classroom focus.
“Across every school campus, we received complaints about the distractions that unnecessary technology is causing,” Anglin said. “We have taken that feedback very seriously.”
The announcement places Cayman alongside a growing number of jurisdictions that have moved to remove smartphones from school premises entirely.
The United Kingdom introduced national guidance restricting phone use in schools in England in 2024, while several Australian states and European countries have enacted or tightened similar measures in recent years.
For Cayman, the policy applies across the government school system, which serves the majority of the jurisdiction’s student population.
The minister sought to reassure parents that existing communication channels between families and schools would remain intact.
“We will not be putting any child or their family at risk,” he said.
He added that schools will liaise individually with the families of children with special or additional educational needs to ensure the policy is applied appropriately in each case.
The Ministry of Education and Training and the Department of Education Services will oversee implementation across all campuses.
Individual schools are expected to finalise the operational details of how the ban will be enforced in the coming weeks, with further guidance to be issued to parents before the term is fully underway.
