Calls for clarity over schools smartphone ban

Calls for clarity over schools smartphone ban 9 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Julia Bryson , Education reporter and Hope Rhodes , Education reporter Headteachers and campaigners have called for clarity on how best to implement the government's proposed legal ban on smartphones in schools. In an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the government is proposing an existing law be altered so schools will have a legal duty to consider the guidance which says schools should be "mobile phone-free environments by default". MPs are debating the issue in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott welcomed the statutory ban but pressed for clarity on whether a "not seen, not heard" policy is allowed "under these rules" saying "these policies don't work". Rob McGinty, headteacher at Hollingworth Academy in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, said his school has a "no see, no hear policy" but he would be in favour of completely removing smartphones from schools. "I think some pupils will still continue to bring phones into school, so as far as a ban is concerned I think we need more details around what that looks like in order to support schools and teachers better," he said. The school has started a consultation with pupils, staff and parents on the introduction of lockable pouches, which block the phone's signal so notifications are not transmitted to smart watches or wireless earbuds and headphones. "No one's naive enough to think that mobile phones won't be going off in a blazer or trouser pocket, or even in school bags," McGinty said. "They vibrate, they go off, then prompting a child to want to have a look and see what the alert is rather than focusing on the important thing - which is being in a lesson, focusing on what the teacher's saying and getting a really good education." Parliamentary 'ping-pong' The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is currently stuck in parliamentary "ping-pong", where legislati...