Smartphone use should be restricted for children outside of school to keep them safe ‘beyond the classroom’, the Children’s Commissioner has suggested
It comes as a major new survey of 19,000 schools and colleges found that the vast majority already restrict mobile phone use during the school day.
Dame Rachel de Souza said stronger action is needed to protect children ‘outside of the school gates’, including restricting smartphone use and a possible social media ban for under 16s.
Her comments come as a poll of children aged eight to 15 found that almost one in four spend more than four hours a day using a computer, phone, tablet or games console.
Some 69 per cent of children spend more than two hours a day using electronic devices, while six per cent even said they use them more than six hours a day, the YouGov survey found.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said that banning mobile phones should be a headteacher’s choice rather than ‘a direction imposed nationally by the government’
‘These children are not spending these hours on their phones while sat in school. It goes much wider than that,’ Dame Rachel said.
‘If we want to protect children, we must broaden our focus beyond school gates and ensure they are safe online at all times.’
Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to restrict the use of phones during the school day.
Last month, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned why the Government opposed a Tory amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to require schools to ban the use of phones.
In response, Sir Keir described the proposal as ‘completely unnecessary’ as he claimed ‘almost every school’ already bans phones.
A separate survey for the commissioner – which includes responses from almost 90 per cent of all schools in England – found that the vast majority already have policies limiting phone use.
The research found that 90 per cent of secondary schools and 99.8 per cent of primary schools already restrict pupils’ use of mobile phones during the school day.
A a poll of children aged eight to 15 found that almost one in four spend more than four hours a day using a computer, phone, tablet or games console (file photo)
Dame Rachel said that banning mobile phones should be a headteacher’s choice rather than ‘a direction imposed nationally by the government’.
She added that concerns about mobile phone use extend beyond the classroom and parents need greater support to manage their children’s online activities and set ‘appropriate boundaries’ as part of a ‘whole-society approach’.
Dame Rachel said: ‘If we are serious about helping children reap the many benefits of the internet, we need to get serious about regulating what they can see, where they see it and curbing the damage currently being wreaked on their health, attention span and safety by tech companies enjoying unlimited freedoms while refusing to take responsibility for the people on their platforms.
‘Schools are just one part of the solution. Parents and carers need support to become more confident managing their children’s online activities and putting in age-appropriate boundaries – and above all, to talk and keep talking at home about what they see and how to respond.’
It comes as the general secretary of the National Education Union called for the Government to introduce a statutory ban on phones in schools to ‘alleviate the pressure’ on teachers.
Daniel Kebede called for restrictions on phone use to tackle sexism, sexual harassment and misogyny and said a national conversation on the ‘damaging impact’ mobiles have on young people is needed.
He said: ‘My personal view is I would support a statutory ban on mobile phones in schools. I think it would alleviate pressure from school leaders, teachers, but also parents.’
