Education Ministry bans taking kindergarten students to the cinema

PalmThe last week of the term has begun. Grades have been posted, and the atmosphere in the classrooms is the same as every year: pent-up nerves, anticipation for Christmas, and boundless energy. Managing the final days before the holidays becomes a challenge, and traditionally, recreational activities are the norm: games, workshops, a film, or a video shared with the group. But this year, this common approach has very clear limitations. Due to stricter regulations on screen use, preschool students are not allowed to go to the cinema or watch any type of audiovisual material, not even occasionally or for recreational purposes. This is according to an email that the Pitiusas Islands' Education Inspection Department has sent to schools across the islands to remind them of the current regulations. Schools and families consulted understand and support the general ban on screen use, but believe that, in specific situations such as the last few weeks before Christmas—when children are more focused on the arrival of the Three Kings than on the regular classroom routine—these resources can have a recreational and inclusive function, such as showing videos with music or dancing in groups. "Some schools used to take them to the cinema, but they've stopped. We have to play music for them without images," says a school principal in Ibiza.

The regulation of screens not only affects preschool, but also establishes a progressive schedule of restrictions in primary school: starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the Regional Ministry of Education prohibits the use of individual digital screens up to the third grade of primary school, limiting their use to a maximum of one hour per week in the fourth grade, leaving the final decision to school officials.

Screen ban

The measure is part of a general tightening of regulations on screens and digital devices in schools, which also prohibits the use of mobile phones during the school day in preschool and primary school and restricts their use in other educational stages. According to the Catalan Ministry of Education, the aim is to reduce distractions, improve coexistence, and protect children's cognitive development in the early stages of education, following the detection of fewer conflicts linked to the use of digital devices last year. In the case of preschool, the prohibition is especially clear: no screens, no mobile phones, no tablets, and no audiovisual presentations, including those that were previously permitted only exceptionally at the end of the term. In primary school, the regulations introduce specific time limits for the first time, significantly reducing the autonomy of schools at specific times such as the end of the school year or the Christmas holidays.

The regulations also address the use of digital devices within the school itself, such as interactive whiteboards or tablets, especially in the early grades, where a significant reduction is requested. This is all part of a broader debate about the role of technology in education and the recommendations of experts who warn of the effects of early and excessive screen time. Meanwhile, schools are facing the end of the term with fewer of their usual resources and the need to reinvent activities during weeks traditionally designed to relax routines and conclude the term on a more informal note.