Education secretary advises schools to enhance their phone-free policies

Bridgit Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, says schools should be phone-free for the entire day – there are to be no exceptions for research or calculator usage amongst pupils. This statement comes after the Department for Education published guidance for local authorities, academies, and further education providers, and the House of Lords has now backed that. In the report, the advice to schools states that pupils are not to use their devices at any point, including during breaktimes or between lessons. Teachers should also be mindful of using their personal devices in the presence of students. School inspection regulator Ofsted has said it will observe how the policy will be implemented, while the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will look into social media use. DSIT data shows that while 90% of secondary schools have phone policies in place, 58% of secondary school pupils say they have used their phones in lessons without permission. Total bans on social media use for under 16s, like the one implemented in Australia last year, are gaining traction. The House of Lords has supported an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to allow for a similar ban in the UK. There are plans for ministers to visit Australia, and for DSIT to hear from young people and parents about phone use to ensure a potential total ban of social media is fully understood. More can be read here.