Mobile phones should be banned in schools, UN report says

The UN says smartphones are distracting pupils from their lessons

It's a familiar debate in many households, should you be allowed to have your mobile phone in school?

A report from the United Nations (UN) recommends smartphones should be banned from schools to reduce classroom disruption.

Unesco, the UN's education, science and culture section, says the ban would support children's learning and protect kids from online bullying.

The report also found there was evidence that using mobile phones too much was linked to poorer educational performance.

Banning smartphones in schools would help protect pupils from online bullying during school hours, the UN report says

Unesco looked at 200 education systems around the world and estimated one in six countries had banned smartphones in school.

Most recently the Netherlands announced phones, tablets and smartwatches would be banned in classrooms from January 2024.

The Dutch government said the move was to stop pupils being distracted from their school work.

In the UK there is no guidance in place by the government, so it is up to individual schools to decide whether to ban smartphones.

Many headteachers put their own rules in place, such as having phones turned off during lessons, but they can be used in case of an emergency.

Do you find smartphones distracting when you're at school or could you not be without yours? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.