Calls to ban phones in schools rejected

Smartphones should not be banned "outright" from schools in Wales, a Senedd inquiry has concluded.

Instead the Petitions Committee report said schools should get more Welsh government support to set their own restrictions.

The committee said there was "plenty of evidence" that smartphones caused harm but it also heard that they can support young people's welfare and safety.

Responding, the Welsh government said it was working with schools "to ensure they have policies and resources to reduce the negative impacts of mobile phones and promote learning". Zena Blackwell, whose petition prompted the inquiry, called for "consistency" as "the current system feels unjust".

The Senedd's Petitions Committee held an inquiry in response to a petition signed by more than 3,000 people calling for smartphones to be banned in schools, except in exceptional circumstances.

The committee spoke to teachers, pupils and parents as part of its inquiry.

It considered the different rules currently adopted by schools in Wales and, what it described as, "the complex relationship" between young people and their smartphones.

The committee concluded that an outright "ban" on smartphones in all schools was not "a clear cut call" and that instead it wanted to see more support for schools to set their own restrictions.

Kayla Lovell, 25, from Cribyn, Ceredigion, said she did not think phones needed to be banned in schools and argued that banning them only led to pupils hiding phones.

"I think for people like maybe in sixth form, it would be a good idea, and a part of safety," she said.

For Sam Herbert, 50, mother to 13-year-old Stephanie, safety is also a valid reason to question a ban.

"Maybe they should hold them in the school when they attend school, and then give them back to the end of the day, so that they have them for going home or when they need them," she said.

But Stephanie, who is diabetic, uses her phone to manage her condition, meaning a ban would be a real cause for concern for her.

Lewis Jarvis-Blower, 23, from Llanwnnen, Ceredigion, said a ban was "probably for the best" but admitted he liked using his phone during breaks and at lunchtime.

"I would be fuming, really angry," he said, if he were a student now and a ban was introduced.

"It already feels like sometimes there's not the freedom there," he added.

"The schools struggling with it... it's probably best if they have their own rules to cater uniquely to their students."

In its report, the committee calls on the Welsh government to establish "clear guidance, alongside a robust decision-making framework, which will give teachers the confidence to set rules that work best for their young people".

It also wants the Welsh government to keep following the evidence of studies into the impact of smartphone restrictions during the school day.

Tracey Boothby, 44, from Lampeter, Ceredigion, said a ban would be "tricky" but added that while children were in school, social media was "obviously a no-no".

"You're in a place of education, and I do feel, as parents that... we should help with whatever the schools decide," she said.

Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders' union NAHT Cymru, said an outright ban would not work.

"School leaders need the flexibility and support to develop a policy that works for them to keep the children and staff in their schools and communities safe," she said in a statement.

"The fact is we live in a society where phone use is prevalent.

"But it is important that we educate children and young people, to help them understand and navigate this online world, and make sure they know how to seek help when it becomes unsafe or unhealthy, as well as clamping down on those who do not obey the rules."

Carolyn Thomas, the Labour chairwoman of the committee, said it was "a complex" topic.

"The growing body of evidence about the harms of smartphones outweighing the benefits for children is both compelling and concerning," she said.

"However, on balance we do not believe that it supports a move to a uniform ban on smartphones in all Welsh schools.

"The more evidence we heard, the clearer it became that the relationship between young people and their phones is not simple.

"There are children who experience distraction, cyber-bullying, addiction and anxiety delivered through their phones.

"There are others who are liberated by being able to manage health conditions or feel emboldened to walk to school, knowing they can always contact a parent."

In England, smartphones are not banned from schools but the UK government has issued guidance encouraging headteachers to prohibit their use.

Some Welsh schools already ban smartphones.

Zena Blackwell, who set up the petition calling for a Wales-wide ban, said in a statement responding to the report that "consistency is paramount, as the current system feels unjust", urging Welsh ministers to "not shy away from making bold moves".

"While some organisations argue that bans will not work, I question how other countries—and even entire boroughs in the UK, such as Barnet—are successfully implementing them to great effect," she added.