The education ministry intends to issue a notice to boards of education nationwide by the end of January that cell phones should be basically banned at elementary and junior high schools, government sources said Wednesday.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry is seeking the ban as a means to protect students from being bullied or encountering crime via the Net, they said.
Education minister Ryu Shionoya told reporters Tuesday that the government would need to work out a "direction" over cell phones at schools.
Local governments have differed on the issue.
Osaka and Saitama prefectures are seeking to ban cell phones at local public elementary and junior high schools.
But Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said it is something that should be decided by parents, while Kanagawa Gov. Shigefumi Matsuzawa said cell phones would be useful for schools and parents to confirm the safety of children.
In December, Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama supported Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto's appeal for a ban on mobile phones at public schools.