Gillian Keegan pledges crackdown on mobiles in schools

Many schools already have phone bans in place but new guidelines will urge all head teachers to introduce stringent rules

Head teachers in England will be told to ban pupils from using mobile phones during the entire school day under new government guidance.

The Department for Education wants children to be barred from using devices on breaks as well as in class.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced the plans at the Conservative Party conference on Monday.

The government already encourages head teachers to limit phone usage, and many schools have restrictions in place.

But government sources say they are confident expanding the guidance will make a difference in reducing the use of phones during the school day.

The new guidance will be issued "shortly" but a specific date has not been announced.

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Ms Keegan said mobile phones are a distraction and are often used for bullying.

The new guidelines will be designed to allow pupils to bring their phones to school so they can be used on the journeys there and back, but they will not be allowed to use them during the school day.

However, teachers' unions have described Ms Keegan's call for a ban on mobile phones as diverting attention from the real challenges facing schools.

Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary Geoff Barton said most schools already prohibited mobile-phone use during the school day or had "robust rules restricting their use to specified circumstances".

NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said a blanket ban was "unenforceable" and would make "the behaviour crisis worse, not better".

Scrapped plans

Schools set their own behaviour policies. And even if updated, current guidelines, which say mobile-phone rules are a decision for head teachers, will remain advisory rather than statutory.

The Department for Education has said if schools fail to implement the new guidance, the government will consider legislating in the future to make the guidance law.

Introducing national restrictions on phone usage in schools is an idea that has been touted before, including by Schools Minister Nick Gibb in 2019.

Former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also said he favoured a ban in 2021, saying "mobile phones should not be used or seen during the school day".

But in February 2022, the education department said blanket national rules were not necessary because a majority of schools in England were already taking action.

And later that year, the government scrapped plans to increase its powers to tell academy schools what to do on issues including behaviour.

Implement restrictions

Heads already have the power to restrict phones on their premises and the government estimated in 2018 that 95% of schools have imposed restrictions.

But rules differ across the country, with some pupils forced to hand their device at the start of the day while others are permitted to keep them in their bag or use them between lessons.

The government has previously said it supports any head teacher who wants to implement restrictions.

There are no blanket bans in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have devolved powers over schools.

France and China have already introduced national bans on phones in schools, with the Netherlands set to follow suit in 2024.

Additional reporting by Sean Seddon and Vanessa Clarke.