Waheed Ahmad
The UK Government is considering tougher restrictions on the use of mobile phones in schools in England, as part of efforts to improve classroom discipline, protect pupils from online distractions and create a better learning environment.
The proposal is aimed at ensuring that pupils do not use mobile phones during the school day, including lessons and other school activities. Ministers have argued that mobile phones can disrupt teaching, affect concentration and contribute to problems such as cyberbullying.
The Department for Education said the strengthened guidance would encourage schools to adopt stricter measures, including collecting phones at the beginning of the day, placing them in secure lockers or using special lockable pouches. Schools could also prohibit pupils from bringing phones onto school premises.
Government figures suggest that only 16 per cent of secondary school pupils believe existing mobile phone rules are consistently followed. The government says stronger measures are needed to ensure that restrictions are effective.
The proposals apply to England, rather than automatically covering Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where education policy is devoled.
2
