Government calls for mobile phone ban
by Educate Magazine October 3, 2023 · All News / Education News
Mobile phone use should be banned in schools across England to ‘improve behaviour’, the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced yesterday (2 October).
New guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) will support headteachers in banning mobile phone use throughout the school day, including at break times, to tackle disruptive behaviour and online bullying while boosting attention during lessons.
Dr Peter Macauley, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby, said: “Given the relatively high prevalence rates of cyberbullying, the ban of mobile phone use during the school day will have varying ramifications for young people, teachers, and parents/guardians.
“Experiencing cyberbullying is associated with lower school adjustment, poorer academic performance, and a reduced sense of belonging in the classroom. On the one hand, the ban of mobile phone use during the school day will limit opportunity for young people to bully others online. It will also reduce distraction in and between lessons throughout the school day, promoting a more positive classroom climate.
“While cyberbullying is more likely to occur outside the school environment, it is often the negative impact associated with involvement that spills into the school. With the ban of mobile phones, even if cyberbullying is still happening outside the school environment, the outcome of a more positive classroom environment due to a no phone policy means that adolescents who experience cyberbullying will display lower levels of cognitive-behavioural disengagement.
“On the other hand, the ban of mobile phones in school may indirectly promote other forms of bullying and disruptive behaviour throughout the school day. For example, cases of traditional bullying (i.e., physical, verbal, or relational forms of bullying) may increase as a way for bullies to continue targeting their victims.”
The move will bring England in one with other counties that have already implemented a ban, including France, Italy and Portugal. It follows warnings from the United Nations on the risks of smartphones in schools and government data that found around a third of secondary school pupils reported mobile phones being used when they were not supposed to in most, or all, lessons.
The government said that if schools fail to implement the new guidance, it will consider legislating it in the future to make the guidance statutory.
The guidance will set out limited exemptions where necessary, like where children require their phones for medical reasons.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union commented on the news, saying: “Most schools already have clear policies around mobile phone use and review them regularly. Schools have been dealing with the issue of mobile phones for many years so it is very hard to see what this latest government guidance will actually achieve.
