ASTANA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- An increasing number of students in Kazakhstan's capital Astana are refraining from using smartphones during school hours under a citywide program aimed at improving learning quality, the Astana city administration said Tuesday.
Launched in 2021 by the Astana Education Department, the "School Without Smartphones" program has expanded steadily with more schools joining over the past five years.
Educators say senior students in particular have come to see smartphones as a distraction, with many now spending breaks reading or interacting face to face instead of using their phones.
Under the program, students are required to leave their mobile phones in designated storage areas before lessons begin and may retrieve them only after classes end, a measure designed to help them focus fully on their studies.
According to official data, the program has been introduced in nearly all schools in the capital, while about 40 percent of schools report that students have completely stopped using phones during lessons. Local education authorities expect the figure to rise further.
The program is part of broader efforts to create a more disciplined and supportive learning environment while addressing the challenges posed by excessive gadget use in modern education, the authorities added. ■