The next government should formally monitor the impact of the mobile phone crackdown in schools - launched this year - to measure its effects, according to the Commons Education Select Committee.
If the results show the non-statutory ban in schools has been ineffective within 12 months, the government should introduce a statutory ban, MPs said in a report published today.
However, headteachers’ leaders have said that the vast majority of schools already ban or restrict the use of phones.
Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio added: “Rather than offering flexibility, a statutory ban would seemingly leave schools with only one option - to confiscate all phones at the start of the day and return them at the end.
“While this may work for some schools, others just will not have the time and resources to manage such a process.”
Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “We said when the guidance on mobile phones was announced that most schools already have clear policies around mobile phone use and review them regularly. Schools have been dealing with these challenges for many years.
“Individual schools know their pupils and communities, so are best placed to develop their own policies when it comes to mobile phones.”
The MPs’ report makes a number of recommendations on screen time limits and online safety for pupils. Here are its seven key findings.
1. Monitor impact of mobile phone crackdown in schools
The Department for Education released non-statutory guidance urging schools to prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day in February.
The committee said it “strongly supports the tougher guidance on keeping phones out of the classroom and break times”.
However, on hearing mixed evidence on how well taken up this will be, it is now recommending formal monitoring and evaluation of this approach by the next government “with the possibility of a statutory ban if needed”.
2. Consider extra steps for smartphones for under 16s - including a total ban
The committee’s new report also recommended the next government work alongside Ofcom in its first year to consult on additional smartphone measures for under-16s - including the potential for a total ban.
“Parents and schools face an uphill struggle and the government must do more to help them meet this challenge. This might require radical steps, such as potentially a ban on smartphones for under-16s,” said committee chair Robin Walker.
3. Guidance should be updated with costs of mobile phone approaches
Alongside recommending the monitoring of mobile phone bans, MPs said government guidance on this should set out the approximate cost of different approaches taken by schools to the ban.
For example, the cost of providing secure storage for phones at schools should be set out.
The committee said the guidance should be updated by July and must ensure parents and carers are able to contact their children as they are commuting to and from school.
4. Additional training for teachers
While MPs welcomed the inclusion of digital literacy in the curriculum, they said currently “the curriculum is not structured well enough to keep children safe online”.
As a result, the committee said the government must provide additional training for teachers delivering the PSHE curriculum - particularly on digital literacy.
It also advised that additional content on online safety should be in both the Early Career Framework and ICT training for teachers.
Non-statutory guidance on digital safety should be consolidated with curriculum content to provide a clear guide for teachers, MPs also recommended.
They said this should be followed with subject knowledge enhancement courses to ensure it reaches teachers.
5. Ofsted ‘must change’ the way PSHE is inspected
The education committee said a subject as broad as PSHE “cannot be adequately evaluated” within the current personal development metric when it includes so many different aspects, such as digital literacy.
Instead, the committee recommended Ofsted should change the way PSHE is evaluated and assess it through thematic reviews as it has done with other core curriculum subjects.
6. Use of edtech and AI must be risk assessed
MPs said the next government should produce a risk assessment on the use of edtech and AI in schools as soon as possible - particularly focusing on the extent it poses a risk to children’s data security.
“Although edtech has some benefits, we are concerned about the implications of edtech and AI on children’s data and privacy,” the report said.
MPs also added that Ofcom should assess the safety and reliability of edtech before it is introduced to schools, and continue to periodically afterwards.
7. Funding strategy needed for school devices
MPs also pointed out that “edtech has more malware than all other sectors combined”.
Digital devices provided to schools by the government must be maintained and kept secure through regular renewals and software updates, MPs said.
Alongside this, a funding and renewal strategy for school devices should be set out by the DfE within the first year of the new Parliament.
A Conservative party spokesperson said: “We welcome the Commons Education Select Committee’s support for our mobile phone ban in schools. The Conservatives will always back headteachers to keep children safe and maintain good behaviour. This is yet more recognition that our plan for education is the right one”.
The Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, and the DfE, have also been contacted for comment.
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