“UNDESIRABLE DISTRACTION”: UK GOVERNMENT BANS USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN SCHOOLS ACROSS ENGLAND

Thu 22 February 2024:

On February 19, the UK government announced new regulations banning cell phones from all English schools. The government of Rishi Sunak will assist head teachers in monitoring student use of mobile devices during the school day, particularly during break.

The goal of the new policy is to ensure that every school in the country uses the same system. Schools will be able to implement several strategies, such as taking phones out of the building, picking them up when they come, or storing them safely during school hours.

With this decision, the government has brought England into compliance with other European nations like France, Italy, and Portugal that have previously imposed restrictions on the use of mobile phones in classrooms.

“Schools are places for children to study, and mobile phones are an undesirable distraction in the classroom. We are giving educators the resources they need to enhance behaviour and concentrate on instruction,” said Gillian Keegan, the UK’s education secretary.

The Office of Communications (OFCOM), a media watchdog in the UK, reports that 97 per cent of kids have a cell phone by the time they are 12. The Department for Education (DfE) emphasises that cellphone use in class can result in disturbance, distraction and cyberbullying, all of which can eat up valuable instructional time.

The importance of giving children education and well-being top priority in the digital age was stressed by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan. “While there are benefits to growing up in a digital age, we must make sure our kids don’t suffer as a result. The UK has implemented legislation to make it the safest place for young people online,” she said.

In response to parental concerns around mobile phone usage, the government made this decision.

According to a survey by the nonprofit organization ParentKind, 44 per cent of parents are concerned about their kids using electronics excessively. Among parents of secondary school pupils, this worry rises to 50 per cent.

The Department of Education provides a list of effective strategies that schools have implemented to prohibit cell phone use. The instructions include the installation of lockers with charging stations as one way to make sure mobile phones are not brought into the classroom. Schools who have implemented this change report improvements in both student behavior and the overall school climate.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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