UK schools spend 100+ hours a week managing phone use

Teachers in secondary schools in England are spending significant time policing students’ mobile phone use. The average sized school could be committing more than 100 hours each week to manage it.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have published a new study today (Tuesday 10 February) following analysis of data collected from 815 students and staff from a nationally representative sample of 20 UK schools (13 with restrictive policies, 7 permissive) on the economic implications of school smartphone policies.

Self-reported data suggests that on average, schools with restrictive policies spend 102 hours or the full-time equivalent of 3.1 staff, per week overall on implementing policies. Schools with permissive policies spend slightly more time on average (108 hours or the full-time equivalent of 3.3 staff, per week).

In schools with restrictive policies, staff reported that they spend less time on monitoring phone-related activities and administrative duties (e.g., recording incidents, providing staff with information and training). They spend more time applying behavioural sanctions for breaches of phone policy (e.g., detentions, and parent communication).

The research team, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, also estimated that restrictive phone policies cost on average £94 per pupil per school year less than permissive policies.

Professor Hareth Al-Janabi, head of the Health Economics Unit at the University of Birmingham and a senior author of the study, said:

“This is the first time the economics of school phone policies has been studied in detail. Our findings present decision-makers with an assessment of both the cost and wellbeing outcomes associated with the different types of policy.

“The findings are that schools are spending a significant amount of time policing smartphone use in both types of policy. While there is a small difference in the resources needed to implement a restrictive policy, we are under no illusion that policing phone use is a big strain for schools and that a stricter policy is no silver bullet.”

Commenting on the newly published research, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Improved student wellbeing is just one potential benefit of banning phones in school.

“While further research on this is clearly needed, most schools now have restrictions on phone use in place and report a range of benefits, from helping pupils to focus on learning to shielding them from inappropriate online content and bullying.

“We recognise that effective enforcement activity can be time-consuming, but as parents and pupils’ expectations about being able to access their phone in school hours changes, and bans become the norm, we hope the need for such activity will be reduced.”

No significant difference in mental wellbeing for students

The new study used standardised mental health quality of life measures based on a composite set of scores on feelings such as worry, sadness, optimism as well as sleep and activity. The study found no significant differences in students’ quality of life between those at schools with permissive or restrictive policies.

Dr Samuel Perry, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham and first author of the study said:

“We did see a small difference in the costs to schools of enforcing smartphone policies but in either a permissive or restrictive school there are still significant burdens on staff time, including on teachers.”

The Birmingham team’s paper follows their study published in Lancet Regional Health Europe looking at smartphone and social media usage and a range of mental health, wellbeing and other outcomes depending on school policies. Among the schools that took part in the study, 20 had various forms of restrictive phone policies in place.

This previous study found that there was no difference in outcomes for students who attend schools that ban mobile phones throughout the school day, including:

• mental wellbeing, anxiety and depression
• physical activity and sleep
• educational outcomes – English and Maths attainment and levels of disruptive classroom behaviour

Professor Victoria Goodyear from the University of Birmingham and chief investigator of the SMART Schools Study said:

“School phone policies, whether permissive or restrictive, are a huge drain on a school to enforce. The high proportions of teacher time spent managing phone use or phone related behaviours during the school day is potentially being diverted away from other types of wellbeing promoting activities, such as pastoral support or extra-curricular activities. We therefore need new ways of approaching adolescent smartphone use in schools.”

The research team are continuing to develop robust evidence on UK secondary schools’ implementation of policies regarding smartphones on outcomes for students and teachers. Further information is available at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/projects/smart-schools