The Education Secretary in England, Gillian Keegan, is set to unveil new government guidelines which will require head teachers across the country to prohibit their students from using mobile phones throughout the school day. The Department for Education has expressed its wish for phones to be barred not only in classrooms but during breaks as well. Although the government already endeavours to limit phone usage within schools and many institutions have already established their own restrictions, these new guidelines are intended to make a significant difference in decreasing total phone usage among students.
At this year’s Conservative Party conference, Keegan explains that mobile phones can be a significant distraction and are often employed for bullying. Under the new guidelines, students would be permitted to bring their phones to school but would not be allowed to use them throughout the day. This will allow phones to be used during the journey to and from school.
This concept has arisen in the past, first put forward by Schools minister, Nick Gibb, in 2019, and more recently supported by the former Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson who expressed his preference for a ban in 2021 stating that “mobile phones should not be used or seen during the school day”. These notions have been most necessary in France and China, which have already imposed nationwide phone bans in schools. Additionally, the Netherlands has also announced plans for a future ban in 2024.
In February of this year, the education department stated that blanket national rules were not necessary given that 95% of schools had already implemented their own measures to reduce phone usage on school premises. However, current guidelines vary across the country: some schools require students to hand over their phones at the start of each day, whilst others allow students to keep their phones in their bags or use them between lessons. Although no blanket bans have been initiated in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the government has previously voiced its support for head teachers who choose to restrict phone usage in their schools.
Sean Seddon contributed additional reporting to this article
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