The government should fund phone lockers in schools to stop children from using them during the day, Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak
10 months, 2 weeks ago

The government should fund phone lockers in schools to stop children from using them during the day, Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak

Daily Mail  

Tory MPs last night urged Rishi Sunak to fund the installation of mobile phone lockers in schools to prevent children from using them during the day. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan issued new guidance to schools in February urging head teachers to ban the use of smartphones in schools, including during break periods. In their letter today, MPs urge the PM to fund the installation of lockers in all schools and to update guidance for Ofsted The group warns that the prevalence of smartphones among teenage children 'has serious implications for learning' These schools either ban them from the premises or insist that phones are shut away in dedicated lockers or pouches for the entire school day. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan issued new guidance to schools in February urging head teachers to ban the use of smartphones in schools Just over half of schools said they allowed pupils to keep phones in their bags This week's Policy Exchange report found that secondary schools which impose a total ban on smartphones are twice as likely to be rated outstanding.

Children Smartphones Schools Phone Phones Ban Mps  phone  guidance  ban  sunak  cent  mps  tory  schools  rishi  urge  children  stop  phones  smartphones  using  lockers

History of this topic

UK Government blocks Conservative Party's attempt to ban mobile phones in school
2 days, 20 hours ago

UK Government blocks Conservative Party's attempt to ban mobile phones in school

Hindustan Times  

The Government has blocked an attempt by the Conservative Party to ban children from having mobile phones in school. Conservative shadow education minister Neil O’Brien said children are suffering from back problems often seen in middle-aged people because of phone use, and said they were being exposed to violent pornography. The shift to smartphone-based childhood is also leading children to …

Phone bans sweep US schools despite skepticism
1 week, 4 days ago

Phone bans sweep US schools despite skepticism

Raw Story  

At a red-brick school in Virginia, Hayden Jones is one of 1,000 students banned from using their phones as part of a trial hoping to boost learning. That's a big concern for me," he said, adding that some pupils have found ways to still use their devices -- including by bringing a "dummy phone" to put in the pouch. - …

Bid to stop children 'doom scrolling' on social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat is watered down after Labour ministers oppose tough crackdown
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Bid to stop children 'doom scrolling' on social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat is watered down after Labour ministers oppose tough crackdown

Daily Mail  

A bid to restrict children's use of smartphones to prevent them 'doom scrolling' on social media has been watered down after ministers opposed the measures. Labour MP Josh MacAlister proposed legislation to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on sites like TikTok and Snapchat. Labour MP Josh MacAlister proposed legislation to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on …

Mixed reactions to Delhi HC ruling on smartphone use in schools
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Mixed reactions to Delhi HC ruling on smartphone use in schools

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that the presence of smartphones in schools does not negatively affect teaching, discipline, or the overall educational environment. Satvir Singh, principal of Vidya Bal Bhawan, said, “Smartphones can be used in two different ways—one as a teaching aid, which would be very beneficial for students, and another under the able guidance …

Delhi HC rules against complete smartphone ban in schools, calls for regulated usage guidelines
Top News
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Delhi HC rules against complete smartphone ban in schools, calls for regulated usage guidelines

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC recently ruled that imposing a complete ban on students using smartphones in schools is neither “practical nor desirable”. Instead, it suggested guidelines to regulate smartphone usage, emphasising their role in ensuring student safety and coordination with parents. “A complete ban on smartphones by students attending school is both undesirable and unworkable,” he stated. While acknowledging …

Denmark to ban mobile phones, tablets in schools and after-school clubs for children aged 7 to 17
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Denmark to ban mobile phones, tablets in schools and after-school clubs for children aged 7 to 17

Live Mint  

Denmark is set to ban mobile phones in schools and after-school clubs based on a recommendation of a government commission. The proposed law will prohibit mobile phones during lessons and breaks at primary and lower secondary schools, affecting children aged 7 to 17. "It risks destroying their self-esteem.” Denmark's Wellbeing Commission’s Findings The commission’s research revealed that 94 per cent …

Delhi HC calls total ban on students using mobile phones in schools unworkable
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Delhi HC calls total ban on students using mobile phones in schools unworkable

Hindustan Times  

A complete ban on students using mobile phones in schools is “undesirable and unworkable”, the Delhi high court has said, emphasising the need for a balanced approach in regulating the use. “Without detracting from deleterious and harmful effects that arise from the indiscriminate use and misuse of smartphones in schools, this court is of the view that smartphones also serve …

Results of student phone ban released
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Results of student phone ban released

ABC  

Andy Park: In recent years, education departments have moved to ban mobile phones in school settings across the country. A 12-month review of the school phone ban in South Australia shows a close to 60 per cent drop in social media related problems and a nearly 40 per cent decrease in behaviour issues linked to devices. Luke Radford: Victorian high …

Delhi High Court sets guidelines for student smartphone use, no complete ban
Trending News
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Delhi High Court sets guidelines for student smartphone use, no complete ban

India Today  

The Delhi High Court has ruled against a complete ban on smartphones in schools, stating that such an approach is neither practical nor desirable. Instead, the court has framed guidelines to regulate and monitor student smartphone use, balancing educational benefits with potential risks. GUIDELINES FOR SMARTPHONE USE IN SCHOOLS To ensure smartphones are used responsibly, the Delhi High Court laid …

Parents calling for phone bans in schools to improve their youngsters' classroom behaviour
3 weeks ago

Parents calling for phone bans in schools to improve their youngsters' classroom behaviour

Daily Mail  

The vast majority of parents support phones being banned in schools and think it is the answer to curbing bad classroom behaviour, according to new research. Parents even ranked a total ban on phones ahead of imposing stricter classroom rules or reducing class sizes to improve behaviour. Two thirds of the teachers said they had to respond to pupils using …

79 Nations banned smartphones in schools amid learning concerns
3 weeks, 6 days ago

79 Nations banned smartphones in schools amid learning concerns

India Today  

A total of 79 education systems globally opted for a ban on smartphones in schools as nations persist in debating how they affect teaching and student privacy, according to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring team. 60 education systems - 30 percent of the entire registered globally had implemented bans on smartphones through different policies and legislation in favour of keeping …

No major hitches on Day 1 without cellphones in L.A. Unified schools
1 month ago

No major hitches on Day 1 without cellphones in L.A. Unified schools

LA Times  

Students at some schools in L.A. are storing their phones in magnetic pouches made by the Yondr company to comply with a new cellphone ban in Los Angeles Unified. A cellphone ban — covering some 800 schools — took effect Tuesday in the Los Angeles Unified School District, eliciting a mix of reactions but no reports of major problems. “I …

Mobile phone bans in schools not linked to grades or behavior of kids, says study
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Mobile phone bans in schools not linked to grades or behavior of kids, says study

Firstpost  

The study’s lead author, Dr Victoria Goodyear, told BBC, that the findings were not “against the ban of smartphones in schools but “what we’re suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts” Banning smartphones in schools has no real impact on improving grades and behaviours among students, a new study has found. The …

Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states
2 months ago

Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states

Associated Press  

— Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects on young people’s lives, has said schools need to provide phone-free times. Kim Whitman, co-founder of the Phone Free Schools Movement, said the issue is catching on because parents and teachers in both red and …

Democrat, Republican states unite in seeking mobile phone ban in US schools
2 months ago

Democrat, Republican states unite in seeking mobile phone ban in US schools

India Today  

Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom have little in common ideologically, but the two have both been vocal supporters of an idea that’s been rapidly gaining bipartisan ground in the states: Students’ cellphones need to be banned during the school day. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social …

Classroom cellphone bans gain bipartisan momentum across US states
Top News
2 months ago

Classroom cellphone bans gain bipartisan momentum across US states

India Today  

LITTLE ROCK: Arkansas’ Republican Gov. The push for cellphone bans has been driven by concerns about the impact screen time has on children’s mental health and complaints from teachers that cellphones have become a constant distraction in the classroom. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects …

RGUKT curbs on smartphone use raises hackles of student leaders
2 months, 1 week ago

RGUKT curbs on smartphone use raises hackles of student leaders

New Indian Express  

ADILABAD: Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge and Technologies, also known as IIIT Basara in Nirmal, has imposed restrictions on the usage of smartphones for first and second-year Intermediate students after Sankranti holidays. The majority opinion from parents and students was considered regarding the matter.” He also assured that the administration would revisit the policy if necessary, emphasising that this is …

Confiscation. Calls home. Sealed pouches. Why schools struggle to ban cellphones
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Confiscation. Calls home. Sealed pouches. Why schools struggle to ban cellphones

LA Times  

Angelica Zamora-Reyes, a senior at Downtown Magnets High School, works on her smartphone at her home in Los Angeles in July. “That’s why rules limiting phone usage in a consistent manner for all in a given setting like schools are more likely to be effective than individual approaches by individual parents, or even individual teachers.” It also may be easier …

Just 18% of teachers think phone ban would improve pupil behaviour – poll
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Just 18% of teachers think phone ban would improve pupil behaviour – poll

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Views are clearly mixed about whether mobile phones can be used as learning tools in …

‘Turned off and stored.’ LAUSD reveals details on school cellphone ban to begin Feb. 18
4 months, 1 week ago

‘Turned off and stored.’ LAUSD reveals details on school cellphone ban to begin Feb. 18

LA Times  

Students retrieve their cellphones from pouches where they are stored during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif. Los Angeles Unified has offered the first details of what a cellphone-free school day will soon look like as educators attempt to break the digital-device obsession of a generation of students, aiming to get them off their screens and …

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cell phone ban
4 months, 2 weeks ago

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cell phone ban

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Since the beginning of the 2024 …

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cellphone ban
4 months, 2 weeks ago

In this Florida school district, some parents are pushing back against a cellphone ban

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s no surprise that students are pushing back on cellphone bans in classrooms. But a survey sent out by the South Florida school district earlier this fall found that of the more than 70,000 students, teachers and parents surveyed, nearly one in five parents believe the cellphone ban is having a negative impact on their student’s wellbeing. …

UK Considers New Smartphone Bans for Children
4 months, 3 weeks ago

UK Considers New Smartphone Bans for Children

Wired  

The UK parliament is considering clamping down on how young people use smartphones. A bill brought forward by a Labour member of parliament proposes both banning phones in schools and raising the age at which children can consent to social media companies using their data. Experts on the impact of digital technologies argue that the legislation could end up shutting …

Banning kids from using smartphones? Yeah, right!
5 months, 1 week ago

Banning kids from using smartphones? Yeah, right!

The Independent  

The debate around kids and smartphones has been rumbling on for about as long as they have been in existence. But this so-called Smartphone Free Childhood “pact” currently gaining momentum online – with campaigners urging education secretary Bridget Phillipson to take action to curb the use of smartphones in schools – has particularly irked me. This was especially true for …

Bridget Phillipson urged to take immediate action to curb use of smartphones in schools until age 16
5 months, 1 week ago

Bridget Phillipson urged to take immediate action to curb use of smartphones in schools until age 16

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In an open letter to the education secretary, 30 education …

Opinion: Los Angeles school kids, get off your damn phones! You'll thank us later
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: Los Angeles school kids, get off your damn phones! You'll thank us later

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District will ban cellphones in classrooms starting in January. About a week later, I found myself among hundreds of parents in a Zoom meeting that was billed as a chance for Los Angeles Unified School District parents to discuss the district’s new policy banning smartphones during the school day. That realization prompted one father to …

Sweden joins drive against excess screen time
6 months ago

Sweden joins drive against excess screen time

China Daily  

Sweden's government has become the latest in Europe to work on drafting legislation banning mobile phones in schools because of the physical and mental damage being done to young people by excessive screen time. A lack of physical activity linked to excessive screen time was even resulting in youngsters developing physical ailments more usually associated with the elderly, he added, …

Academy with 35,000 pupils becomes first in England to ban smartphones
6 months ago

Academy with 35,000 pupils becomes first in England to ban smartphones

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Ormiston Academies Trust’s chief executive said the move was …

Northern Ireland schools urged to restrict mobile phone use during day
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Northern Ireland schools urged to restrict mobile phone use during day

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Schools in Northern Ireland have been advised to restrict the …

Dutch primary schools also banning smartphones as remaining students return to class
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Dutch primary schools also banning smartphones as remaining students return to class

NL Times  

Kids in the Noord region return to school today, and with that, the summer vacation is officially over and the academic year has started. As of today, primary school students are also not allowed to bring mobile phones, smartwatches, or other devices into the classroom. Many schools in the Centrum and Zuid regions implemented the ban in the past two …

France looking to ban phones in school
6 months, 3 weeks ago

France looking to ban phones in school

China Daily  

France is to try out a ban on mobile phones at school for students aged 15 and under in an effort to give youngsters a "digital pause". The report noted what it said was "a very clear consensus on the direct and indirect negative effects of digital devices on sleep, on being sedentary, a lack of physical activity, and the …

France looking to ban phones in school
6 months, 3 weeks ago

France looking to ban phones in school

China Daily  

By JULIAN SHEA in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2024-08-29 09:41 France is to try out a ban on mobile phones at school for students aged 15 and under in an effort to give youngsters a "digital pause". The report noted what it said was "a very clear consensus on the direct and indirect negative effects of digital …

Minister working on plans to ban mobile phones in secondary schools
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Minister working on plans to ban mobile phones in secondary schools

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mobile phones could be banned in secondary schools under plans being considered by …

Editorial: Yes, more schools should ban student cellphones
7 months ago

Editorial: Yes, more schools should ban student cellphones

LA Times  

William Schnider, a 17-year-old rising senior at Van Nuys High School, is against the upcoming cellphone ban in Los Angeles schools but says he understands why it is going to be enacted. Opinion Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools L.A.’s principals and teachers need a policy aligned with current research, which shows that curbing phone use in schools …

Pressure mounts on Labour over smartphones after survey raises concerns on usage by children
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Pressure mounts on Labour over smartphones after survey raises concerns on usage by children

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “But I do think I will sit down with anyone to look at how we’ll …

Labour WON'T ban mobile phones for under-16s despite calls from Brianna Ghey's mother - as Keir Starmer hints at controls on social media
8 months, 1 week ago

Labour WON'T ban mobile phones for under-16s despite calls from Brianna Ghey's mother - as Keir Starmer hints at controls on social media

Daily Mail  

Keir Starmer has said he is not in favour of banning mobile phone for under-16s - but hinted at controls on social media use. Asked whether he limits his 13-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son's mobile phone use, Sir Keir told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'Our children have mobile phones and I'm not in favour of simply banning them for children …

Eton bans smartphone for new pupils and will issue boys with an offline Nokia handset instead in bid to improve mental health and behaviour
8 months, 1 week ago

Eton bans smartphone for new pupils and will issue boys with an offline Nokia handset instead in bid to improve mental health and behaviour

Daily Mail  

Eton College has banned new pupils from bringing smartphones into school - and will issue them with a basic Nokia handset instead. Eton has banned new pupils from bringing smartphones into school in a new crackdown The elite £52,000-a-year private school has written to families and said pupils will be given a basic Nokia model that can't access the internet, …

Teachers want to expand mobile phone ban at secondary schools after early success
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Teachers want to expand mobile phone ban at secondary schools after early success

NL Times  

Secondary school teachers are generally positive about the government guideline to ban smartphones in the classroom. Most believe the ban led to more calm and concentration in the class, and more than half want to expand the guideline to ban phones from school altogether, according to a survey of 4,206 secondary school staff members by the teacher’s union AOb. According …

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: Smartphones have silenced kids, and that isn’t a good thing. Hooray for LAUSD’s ban

LA Times  

A high school student look at her phone in 2019. Now, our letter writers are once again united, but this time in praise: With barely any exceptions, they’re writing in approval of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s ban on phones during the school day. To the editor: I just finished my 29th year teaching high school English and would …

Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no
9 months ago

Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That’s the endgame of an increasing number of parents …

Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no
9 months ago

Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Try saying “no” when a child asks for a smartphone. She polled the parents of her daughters’ grade two years ago and she was surprised to see that “99% of them were as terrified or more so than I was.” She shared the results of her questionnaire, and says that this year, when her daughter started high …

Los Angeles moves to ban smartphone use in school
9 months ago

Los Angeles moves to ban smartphone use in school

Raw Story  

Education bosses in Los Angeles voted Tuesday to work towards a complete ban on the use of smartphones in the city’s schools. “Schools that have…already implemented a phone-free school day report incredible results — kids are happier, they’re talking to one another, their academics are up,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the ban. It says eliminating phone and …

Can LAUSD's cellphone ban help break kids' addiction?
9 months ago

Can LAUSD's cellphone ban help break kids' addiction?

LA Times  

Smartphones in schools are distracting for students, and honor codes dictating no phone use make more work for teachers and staff who then have to police their use. It will not be easy, but schools are the best place to curb the overuse of cellphones and help break the addiction, writes columnist Robin Abcarian: “It’s very difficult to control our …

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools
9 months ago

California governor wants to restrict smartphone usage in schools

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he wants to restrict students’ usage of smartphones during the school day, citing the mental health risks of social media. “We support legislation which empowers school leaders to make policy decisions at a local level that reflect their community’s concerns and what’s necessary to support their students,” spokesperson Troy Flint …

Column: Los Angeles public schools will ban cellphones. What’s not to like?
9 months ago

Column: Los Angeles public schools will ban cellphones. What’s not to like?

LA Times  

Every time I write about smartphones taking a toll on adolescents, I get tut-tutted by critics accusing me of promoting moral panic. In a recent Times opinion essay, Los Angeles Board of Education member Nick Melvoin called for a ban on smartphones in L.A.’s public schools. In Spain, he added, the test scores of students at schools that have banned …

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban
9 months ago

LAUSD, fed up with kids distracted by social media, to consider cellphone ban

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District board is considering a resolution that would ban student cellphone use. It directs staff to “develop and present to the public” policies that would prohibit student use of cellphones and social media “during the entire school day,” including lunch and breaks. “Simply put, they make kids more depressed and just plain dumber.” District high …

Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools
9 months, 1 week ago

Opinion: Why LAUSD should ban smartphones in schools

LA Times  

Smartphones in schools are distracting for students, and honor codes dictating no phone use make more work for teachers and staff who then have to police their use. In psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Creating an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” he shows how the use of smartphones and social media, as …

MPs call for next government to consider smartphone ban for under-16s
9 months, 3 weeks ago

MPs call for next government to consider smartphone ban for under-16s

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The House of Commons Education Committee said tougher guidance on mobile phones in schools …

School ban on phones results in concentration and conversation
9 months, 3 weeks ago

School ban on phones results in concentration and conversation

Dutch News  

Pupils no longer allowed to use their mobile phones in school are chatting to each other more and are better able to concentrate but not all are happy, a survey by the Radboud University in Nijmegen has shown. The research team gauged the opinions of some 1,000 parents, pupils and teachers at two schools in Nijmegen both before and three …

'Our children should be nowhere near a smartphone': Families back teachers' calls to ban mobile phones for kids under 14 because they're 'dangerous'
9 months, 3 weeks ago

'Our children should be nowhere near a smartphone': Families back teachers' calls to ban mobile phones for kids under 14 because they're 'dangerous'

Daily Mail  

Parents and grandparents in St Albans have lent their support to plans for the city to become Britain's first smartphone-free area for children aged under 14. Email: tips@dailymail.com ** Grandparents Karen and Steve Mitchell, 64 and 65, said smartphones posed a danger – but it is a 'good idea' to have a basic phone at secondary school for contacting their …

Discover Related