- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has written to headteachers advocating for schools to be entirely phone-free throughout the school day, including during lessons, breaks, and between classes.
- The updated government guidance specifies that mobile phones should not be used by pupils for any purpose, such as calculators or research, both inside and outside of the classroom.
- The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will direct Ofsted to examine schools’ mobile phone policies and their implementation, with teachers also advised against using phones in front of pupils.
- Data indicates that 58 per cent of secondary school pupils use mobile phones without permission in at least some lessons.
- Separately, ministers have launched a consultation on implementing an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s in the UK.
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