On September 2, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Suriname announced a push to develop consistent, nationwide regulations for mobile phone use in primary and secondary schools, following a troubling incident that exposed gaps in how educational institutions manage student technology use.
Minister Dirk Currie has already held roundtable discussions with principals from both public and private education sectors to align on a shared framework for responsible device use. In an extensive address to the National Assembly (DNA), Currie framed the mobile phone policy debate as more than a disciplinary issue, linking it closely to student mental health and holistic learner support.
Currie revealed that one local school recently dealt with a serious incident where a group of students used digital devices to create non-consensual pornographic content. The school ultimately expelled all the involved students in response, but Currie argued that this punitive outcome does not resolve the underlying problem. He challenged parliament to reconsider the approach to these young people, asking: “The question remains: how do we avoid simply throwing these children away?” Instead of permanent exclusion, Currie says policymakers and school leaders must explore pathways for these students to re-enter the education system with targeted guidance and support.
The incident, Currie noted, underscores a broader systemic question: how can schools strike the right balance between embracing modern technology and mitigating its harms? That is why the ministry is pushing for a uniform national protocol that can be adopted by all schools, regardless of their public or private affiliation. One widely discussed proposal requires students to store their personal mobile phones in dedicated lockers or storage spaces upon arriving at school, with access only permitted for structured educational activities during the school day, before students retrieve their devices when heading home.
But Currie emphasized that any new rules should not be created behind closed doors and imposed unilaterally on young people. Instead, students themselves must be part of the conversation to shape agreements around responsible technology use. “Let’s not pretend that children have no capacity for reason,” Currie told the assembly. He argued that rather than just mandating rules from top-down, educators must explain to students why clear boundaries are necessary, building buy-in instead of resentment.
At the same time, the minister stressed that the policy push is not an attempt to ban technology from education entirely. On the contrary, the ministry is accelerating its investment in educational digitalization, in large part to address ongoing teacher shortages across the country. The core challenge, Currie explained, is not just restricting inappropriate phone use—it is equipping young people with the skills and judgment to interact with digital technology responsibly for the rest of their lives.