Shadow Education Secretary says she will 'keep fighting' to ban phones in schools
It's part of our investigation into the impacts that phones can have on young people
Last updated 14th Feb 2025
The Shadow Education Secretary has told has us that she will 'keep fighting' to ban phones in schools.
Just a few weeks ago Laura Trott, who is also the MP for Sevenoaks and Swanley, tabled an amendment to the education bill which pushed the government to include a school smartphone ban during the day.
However, it was immediately dismissed by the Labour education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, as a 'headline grabbing gimmick'.
And, as part of our investigation into the impacts that phones can have on young people, we spoke to Laura Trott, who said: "I have spoken to pupils who talk about how much better they feel about school, how much it has reduced bullying in school, how it helps children to learn and how much safer it makes children feel.
"I've had those conversations and I want that for every single child and I think every parent in the country wants that for their child because you only have to talk to them for five minutes to know how worried they are about this.
"About the impacts it has on their children's attainment, about bullying, about attention spans and this is not something that should be dismissed and I think it is deeply regrettable that the education secretary did so and I think it was a mistake.
"I will not let them labour dismiss the concerns of parents up and a down the country. I have the back of parents, I get how worried they are about this, I get how worried their children are about this and I will not stop fighting for them.
It follows on from Matthew Scott's survey, which found that one in three children in Kent had been a victim of bullying.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know that technology can bring many benefits to children’s education, but it’s crucial that pupils stay engaged to ensure high and rising standards in schools.
“Mobile phones are a distraction from learning and our guidance is clear that it is for headteachers to decide how to prohibit their use in a way that will work in their own schools. If pupils fail to follow those rules, schools have the power to confiscate devices.”