Britain is again considering banning mobile phones for people under 16 in the latest move after testing it over the past months.
A ban on mobile phones in schools in England is to be imposed by the government in a bid to ensure “vital safety legislation” is passed.
The Government will introduce an amendment to the Child Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords after the bill was blocked by opposition members.
It would make existing guidance on mobile phone bans in schools statutory, a move which ministers have so far opposed.
The government had consistently argued that most schools already banned mobile phones, and there was no need to add a legal requirement.
However, he eventually capitulated and called it “a practical measure” to get the bill passed.
Announcing the move on Monday, Education Minister Jacqui Smith told the Lords: “We recognize the strength of feeling in this House and beyond on this issue.”
“Despite the fact that we think the guidance we already have provides a range of approaches for headteachers and schools to be able to meet the objectives we all share, we are committed to instead introducing an amendment which would put the existing guidance on a statutory footing at the front of the Bill, creating a clearer legal requirement for schools.”
The bill is considered by many to be the largest piece of child protection legislation in decades and includes proposals for a mandatory registration of out-of-school children, a ban on profiteering in children’s social care and a “single unique identifier” to help agencies track child welfare.
The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, previously wrote to headteachers in England insisting that schools should be phone-free throughout the school day, but the guidance has remained non-statutory.
Notably, research by the Children’s Commissioner for England last year found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already had policies in place that limited or banned mobile phone use during the school day.
