Denmark to ban phones in schools

Denmark is set to ban smartphones in schools and after-school clubs.

The education minister announced the move on Tuesday following recommendations from a group formed by the government to look at children's wellbeing.

Although many schools in the UK have rules banning smartphones, they are not banned by law.

Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all have guidance for schools about phone use.

Full details have not been released by the Danish government, but Mattias Tesfaye, Minister for Children and Education says a ban would mean "mobile phones and personal tablets will not be allowed at school, neither during break times nor during lessons".

The plan follows recommendations from a youth wellbeing commission, which also recommended restricting the use of smartphones to those aged 13 and older.

"As soon as a phone enters a child's bedroom, it takes up all the space," Rasmus Meyer, president of the commission said. "It risks destroying their self-esteem. As soon as they have a gadget in their hands, their wellbeing suffers."

In the last few years, there has been more focus on the potential harms to wellbeing from smartphone use.

Research from the University of Birmingham earlier this month found that students who use their phones more often may see negative effects on their wellbeing and schoolwork.

But the research looked at schools which banned phones and schools that didn't and concluded that banning phones in school doesn't make much of a difference to pupils' grades or how they feel.