LONDON: The UK government is considering issuing new guidance across England that would recommend banning mobile phones from schools during the entire school day, including break times. However, such a ban would not be enforceable, and it is unclear when the guidance would be published.
According to Sky News, this is not the first time that a Conservative government minister has suggested a ban on mobile phones in schools. However, a consultation by the Department for Education in 2022 concluded that most schools already have plans in place to tackle the issue, and that further government intervention is not necessary.
Teaching unions have criticized the government’s proposal, saying that it will make the behavior crisis in schools worse, not better. They have called on the government to focus on properly supporting the work of teachers and headteachers instead of making announcements designed to detract attention from more than a decade of policy failure.
In simpler terms:
The UK government is thinking about telling schools to ban mobile phones for the whole day, including break times. But this wouldn’t be a law, and it’s not clear when it would happen.
Other government ministers have suggested this before, but a recent survey found that most schools already have rules about mobile phones.
Teachers’ unions don’t like the idea, saying it will make things worse in schools. They want the government to focus on helping teachers instead.