Findings reveal 'overwhelming' call for phone ban

A consultation on the use of mobile phones in schools has revealed "overwhelming majority support" in favour of prohibiting device usage.

West Northamptonshire Council invited parents, pupils, schools and members of the public to give their views on the use of smartphones in schools.

The 10-week public consultation aimed to strengthen local guidance on mobiles to avoid a "postcode lottery of safeguarding standards", the council said.

It received more than 1,200 responses, with 926 from parents and carers and 62 from pupils.

The main issues people responded to centred on safety, mental health and wellbeing, bullying, learning, equality and enforcement.

It included safety to and from school and how smartphones could increase the risk of anxiety, addiction, sleep disruption and social interaction.

Views were sought on how usage could expose children to harmful content and unwanted sharing of images, as well as how they could be used by children as a medical device, like monitoring type 1 diabetes and glucose.

It found parents, carers, teachers and school staff were "by far the strongest advocates for bans or strict restriction", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Views from pupils were most divided, with many opposing a ban as "patronising", while others recognised the negative mental health and distraction effects of phones.

Councils cannot impose legislation on schools, but can issue guidance.

Last month, the government announced it would introduce a legal ban on smartphones in schools in England.

The findings and the next steps on Department for Education guidance will be discussed by the council's cabinet on Tuesday 9 June.

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