Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Member of Parliament for Gosport, has released a call for views on children’s smartphone use in schools, following a Conservative amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
As reported in the Telegraph over the weekend, the Conservatives have tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would require all schools in England to prohibit mobile phones and other devices during the school day.
New Clause 48 was tabled by Conservative Shadow Education Minister Neil O’Brien, and intends to “require all schools in England to ban the use of mobile telephones, and other devices with similar functionality, during the school day.” The door was held open, as part of the amendment, for sixth form colleges to deviate from this policy.
Speaking at Education Oral Questions on Monday [27 January], Shadow Secretary of State for Education Laura Trott said:
“We know that smartphones in the classroom have a negative impact on reading and on the educational attainment of children in general. When in government, we issued guidance to try to ban smartphones from the classroom, but the latest evidence is clear that they are still far too prevalent in schools.
“To fix the problem, the guidance needs to be put on a statutory footing. Does the Education Secretary agree that children’s educational outcomes are negatively affected by smartphones, and if she does, will she back our amendment to ban them from the classroom for good?”
Now, Caroline is seeking the views of parents in Gosport, Lee on Solent, Stubbington and Hill Head, as to whether they believe that their child’s academic performance is being negatively affected by the presence of mobile phones in the classroom, and social media more generally.
Over recent years, a body of evidence has formed that draws a link between poor mental health and smartphone usage. Last year, leading psychologist and bestselling author, Professor Jonathan Haidt endorsed a Policy Exchange report that examined that link and considered the effectiveness of smartphone bans in schools as a pragmatic and preventative policy intervention. The report claimed that only 11 per cent of secondary schools have an “effective ban” on mobile phones in the classroom.
Urging parents to take part in her survey, Caroline said:
“As the scientific evidence on the impact of smartphones on our children’s mental health and educational attainment continues to stack up, it’s imperative that the voices of parents contribute to the debate.
“I am genuinely interested to hear what the experience of parents is with their children’s relationship to technology, especially smartphones. While a recent poll suggested that 60 per cent of people in Britain think smartphones should be banned in schools, I want to see whether that is reflected locally.
“This is an opportunity for parents across Gosport, Lee on the Solent, Stubbington and Hill Head to play a direct role in my work in Parliament by informing my views, so I would encourage everyone to share the survey around and take part themselves.”
ENDS
For more information contact [email protected]
Caroline’s survey can be found here: https://www.caroline4gosport.co.uk/news/smartphones-schools-what-do-you-think
The Policy exchange Report, Disconnect, can be found here: https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/disconnect/
