Ban on mobile phones in schools 'unenforceable'

Mobile phones could be banned from schools in England under new plans set to be announced today at the Conservative Party Conference.

It is currently up to individual school leaders to decide their own policies on mobile phones and whether they should be banned.

Already, many schools expect pupils to put their phone away in their locker when they arrive, while other schools allow pupils to keep phones in their bags.

But it's expected that Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will introduce a blanket ban on pupils using mobile phones in schools across England - although one teaching union leader has warned the plans are 'unenforceable'.

Teaching union says it will make behaviour worse

Addressing the reports, Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: “If the Government introduces blanket bans that are unenforceable, this will make the behaviour crisis worse, not better.”

A recent survey by the NASUWT of its members in the UK on behaviour suggested that teachers’ biggest concerns were verbal and physical abuse.

The majority of teachers surveyed suggested that poor social skills following Covid-19 restrictions had affected pupil behaviour – and a smaller number of teachers reported that mobile phones caused behavioural issues in class.

Dr Roach added: “This behaviour crisis has become embedded on this Government’s watch. The lack of joined-up solutions, multi-agency working and properly resourced behaviour support are just some of the systemic factors making a challenging situation worse.

“Teachers across the country would welcome more support around dealing with the problems caused by social media. But abusive use of mobile phones is not just confined to the classroom and we need to see better support for schools and families when problems arise.

“The Government needs to focus on properly supporting the work of teachers and headteachers rather than announcements designed to detract attention from more than a decade of policy failure.”

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