Outgoing Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited Wat Mahannapharam School, one of 437 schools under the BMA, in Phra Nakhon district, to observe the first day of classes, reports the Bangkok Post.
Mr Chadchart said the BMA had put in place measures to regulate mobile phone use in schools following concerns that children were developing shorter attention spans, worsening eyesight, and reduced interaction with teachers and classmates.
Under the measures, students are to leave their mobile phones with teachers during school hours to help them focus on learning, create a more effective classroom environment and reduce the health and behavioural impacts associated with excessive screen time.
He said several schools had already piloted the initiative with positive results, adding that studies from several countries supported the effectiveness of such measures.
South Korea passed a bill banning the use of mobile phones in school classrooms nationwide last August, while France passed a bill that banned social media use by under-15s in January.
Similar steps have been implemented in countries including Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
It also follows the findings of a new report earlier this year by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) stating that excessive screen exposure is one of the leading causes of developmental delays among young children.
- Additional reporting by The Phuket News