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Mobile phones are to be banned from pupils' bags and pockets under stricter rules for schools in England, in a move aimed at cutting distraction in classrooms and improving behaviour. The new rules will mean that pupils cannot keep their phones on them during the school day, and schools will be expected to enforce the ban firmly.
The guidance on phones in schools has been in force since June, but stricter rules due from September 2027 go further by making clear that phones should not be in bags or pockets either. Instead, schools are expected to collect phones at the start of the day, or to require them to be locked away until home time. The aim is to remove the temptation to check messages or social media during lessons, and to make sure that pupils are focused on learning.
Teachers have long complained that phones are a distraction in classrooms, with pupils checking messages, watching videos and taking photographs when they should be working. Phones have also been linked to bullying, with hurtful messages and images shared during the school day, and to poor sleep, with pupils staying up late on their devices. Supporters of the ban say that taking phones out of the school day will help with all of these problems.
Many schools already have rules on phones, but they vary widely, with some allowing pupils to keep their phones as long as they are switched off, and others collecting them at the gate. The stricter rules are intended to bring a more consistent approach, so that pupils, parents and teachers all know where they stand. Schools will still be able to make exceptions for pupils who need a phone for medical reasons, or for other good reasons.
Parents have been urged to support the new rules, and to talk to their children about why phones are being banned during the school day. Education leaders say the change is about giving pupils the best chance to learn, and about making schools places where children can concentrate, play and talk to each other without the constant pull of a screen.
Source: Nacionale
