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Labour sets out plans for ‘truly phone-free’ classrooms
Labour plans to strengthen guidance so schools in England can keep pupils’ smartphones inaccessible throughout the school day. Education Secretary Lucy Powell says classrooms should support learning and friendship, and the change responds to concerns that phones distract pupils.
Current guidance calls for schools to be phone-free by default but does not specify enforcement. A Department for Education survey in June found only 16 per cent of pupils said phone rules were always followed. Some schools use lockable pouches or collect phones, but headteachers’ unions say secure storage requirements would need extra funding; the Government is also consulting on safety certification for education technology.
In short
- Labour will strengthen guidance on keeping phones inaccessible during the school day.
- Only 16 per cent of pupils said phone rules were always followed.
- School leaders say secure storage measures would need extra funding.
Explained simply
In England, schools set their own rules on whether pupils can bring smartphones and when they can use them. Government guidance already says schools should normally keep the school day phone-free, but it leaves schools to decide how to put that into practice.
Lucy Powell is the Education Secretary, responsible for the Department for Education. Some schools collect phones or use lockable pouches, while headteachers’ unions say secure storage can cost money. The issue matters because phone rules can affect pupils’ attention and social time at school, as well as the resources schools need to enforce them.