Conservatives crack down on mobile phones in schools

• Mobile phones will be banned in schools to improve behaviour and outcomes in English schools.
• New guidance will help children focus on learning, reducing distraction and online bullying during school hours.
• The move builds on the Conservatives’ record of driving up school standards.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has today announced a ban on the use of mobile phones in schools. The change will help children focus on learning and reduce distraction.

The guidance soon to be published by the Department for Education will ensure phones will be banned in the school day, including during break times. Limited exemptions will be made where necessary, for example where children require their phones for medical reasons.

This long-term decision will help continue to build on the Conservative Government’s record of ensuring every child has a brighter future. Thanks to the reforms brought in over the past decade, England’s primary aged children are now the best in the western world at reading and now 88 per cent of our schools are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68 per cent under Labour in 2010.

Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, said:

“Having a uniform approach to taking mobile phones out of school will mean children can focus in the classroom and get the education they need to reach their full potential.

“This change will reduce distractions and help us continue to improve behaviour and drive-up standards – that have seen England rise up the international league tables in key subjects like English and maths."

The change is expected to see improvements in behaviour and reduce online bullying in schools. It follows the Conservatives’ £10 million behaviour hubs, which are supporting up to 700 schools to improve behaviour.

This tougher approach on mobile phones comes after several studies have shown the negative impact mobile phones are having in schools leading to disruptive behaviour, and reduced attention in class. The change comes following warnings form the UN on the risks of smartphones in schools.

The move brings England in line other countries that have already made the move including the Netherlands, France, Spain and Australia.

This new ban on mobile phones in schools follows on from the Government’s landmark Online Safety Bill that puts protecting children at its heart. Meaning social media platforms are held responsible for the content they host and must remove illegal content and stop children seeing material that is harmful to them, including material used to bully.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• We are funding schools at their highest levels in history in real terms – at nearly £60bn (2024/25 will be more than £59.6 billion).
• Our £10m behaviour hubs programme is supporting up to 700 schools to improve behaviour.
• In England we have climbed the international league tables in English and Maths. Primary aged children are best in the western world at reading. England has come 4th out of 43 comparable countries in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) rankings international study for primary reading proficiency.
• We have consistently pursued a no-nonsense approach to behaviour in schools, including the appointment of a new behavioural taskforce led by Tom Bennett to tackle unruly behaviour.
• This includes raising concerns over phones in schools in 2021. Following this we set out our clear intention that phones should not be used. But the impact of the pandemic, rising mental health problems and the difficulties that teachers face managing behaviour warrants a bolder approach.