The British Government is planning to implement a legal ban on the use of mobile phones among pupils attending secondary schools in England.
While addressing the House of Lords, the minister of education, Baroness Jacqui Smith, said that the government was considering amending the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to include a legal provision which bans mobile phones from being used in schools.
The Department for Education stated that the ban was to make the guidelines more effective since most of the schools did not allow mobile phones to be used in schools.
Earlier, the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, had advised the schools to have a policy of banning mobile phones in schools throughout the day.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott welcomed the decision, describing it as a positive step toward improving student behaviour and academic performance.
Similarly, the Liberal Democrats called for adequate funding and support to help schools implement the policy effectively.
However, some education leaders argue the change may have limited impact. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, noted that many schools already have strict phone policies in place.
He suggested that government support would be more useful in providing secure storage solutions such as lockers or pouches. He also emphasized the need for stronger regulation of social media and smartphone use outside school hours.
The DfE added that compliance with phone policies will be monitored through Ofsted inspections starting in April. The wider bill also includes measures such as creating a register for children not in school, aimed at improving safeguarding.
As education policy is devolved, approaches differ across the UK, with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland adopting varying guidelines on phone use in schools.
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