Education Secretary tells teachers to make sure schools are phone-free
It has been reported that British Education Minister Bridget Phillipson wrote a letter to school principals advocating that schools be completely phone-free during the school day.
In the letter, seen by the BBC and The Times, Ms Phillipson said it was never appropriate to “use phones as calculators or for research purposes” both in and outside the classroom.
Last week the government published updated guidance on phone use in schools, stressing that students “should not access their devices during lessons, breaks, lunchtimes or between lessons”.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said it would take immediate action over children’s use of social media, including instructing Ofsted to examine schools’ mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented during inspections.
“Schools must ensure these policies are applied consistently across classes and at all times, and we want parents to support these policies,” Ms Phillipson said in her letter.
Teachers were also advised not to use their phones in front of students.
According to data provided by DSIT, 99.9 percent of primary schools and 90 percent of secondary schools have a mobile phone policy.
However, 58% of middle school students reported unauthorized use of cell phones during at least some classes; this proportion increased to 65% for students in the fourth cycle.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, told the BBC school leaders “need the support of the government, not the threat of harsh inspections”.
It comes after ministers launched a consultation on implementing an Australian-style social media ban on under-16s in the UK.
The consultation will look at options such as raising the age of digital consent and restricting potentially addictive app design features such as “lines” and “infinite scrolling”.
Ministers will visit Australia as part of a consultation where a social media ban on under-16s came into force in December.
DSIT said the Government would seek the views of parents and young people and respond in the summer.
