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Ban phones throughout the school day, Phillipson tells teachers
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson urges consistent enforcement of phone-free school days amid widespread unauthorized use by up to 65% of key stage four pupils, officials said.
- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote to headteachers in England urging a phone-free school day, consistent policy application, parental support, and teachers to avoid phone use in front of pupils.
- The UK government ministers launched a consultation exploring an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s, including raising the digital age of consent and limiting features like 'streaks' and 'infinite scrolling'.
- DSIT said it will take immediate action and has directed Ofsted to examine mobile phone policies, noting 99.9% of primary schools have policies and 65% of key stage four pupils report unauthorized phone use.
- Teaching unions welcomed the social media consultation but pushed back on Ofsted monitoring, the Association of School and College Leaders called the government 'sluggish', and Paul Whiteman said leaders 'need support from government, not the threat of heavy-handed inspection'.
- Schools have been told to confiscate phones during the school day, pupils 'should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons', and the guidance applies only to schools in England.
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UK Schools Urged To Go Phone-Free As Gov Slams Use Of Devices In Class
The Education Secretary has issued a direct challenge to the presence of smartphones in the nation's classrooms. Bridget Phillipson has made it clear that the school day should be a sanctuary for learning, undisturbed by the persistent buzz of notifications or the lure of the 'infinite scroll'. In a letter that has rattled staffrooms and parent groups alike, the government has declared that mobile phones have 'no place' in school, extending the …
·United Kingdom
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Manchester Evening NewsReposted by 
The Independent
The IndependentEducation secretary tells teachers to make sure schools are phone-free
The government official issued a letter to headteachers in England
·Manchester, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left2Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 22%
C 56%
R 22%
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