Government Offer Guidance on How to Ban Phones in Schools in England

The Department for Education has taken the next step towards a complete ban on mobile phones in schools in England, publishing guidance which should be followed by all head teachers and principals. The government says recent official data showed 29 percent of secondary school pupils reported mobile phones being used without permission. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan promised to ban “distracting” mobile phones in schools at the Conservative Party conference in October. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said at the time he was concerned, “a blanket ban won’t work for all schools” and he added, “We query whether this new policy has actually been sense checked at all with the profession.”...