UK Government mulls to introduce legal ban on smartphones in schools in England

UK Government has said it will introduce a legal ban on smartphones in schools in England.

Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith told the House of Lords on Monday that the Government would table an amendment to its landmark Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill "creating a clear legal requirement for schools" on the matter.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the move would give "legal force to what schools are already doing in practice".

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson had written to schools earlier this year encouraging them to follow new guidance that schools be phone-free for the entire day.

Government has said it will put that guidance on a statutory footing, which means schools must pay attention to it.

It argues that this is different from what the Conservatives have been advocating, which is an outright legal ban.

Conservative Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said the amendment, which is due to be tabled in the coming days, was "fantastic news for headteachers, parents and pupils across the country".

For the government, Baroness Smith told the House of Lords they had taken "not seen, not heard" - meaning phones must be off and in a bag - out of the guidance as an option for schools and were willing to consider "whether we should be stronger on that".

Source BBC