Suffolk headteacher calls for stronger rules on mobile phones for childrens safety
Calls for a statutory ban have been growing after Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, urged the government to take action.
The debate around mobile phones in schools is intensifying, and a Suffolk headteacher has urged schools and the government to take a firmer stance on mobile phones, warning that children are being exposed to risks that education alone can’t shield them from.
It's as calls for a statutory ban have been growing after Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, urged the government to take action.
She believes removing phones from classrooms could have given her daughter “a better chance in life”. Her campaign has gathered high-profile support from the likes of Kate Winslet and Stephen Graham, and she wants funding for schools to lock phones in pouches for the full school day.
Thoughts in Suffolk - "another experiment at the expense of our children"
Phillip Hurst, head of Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham, who's already enforced a ban, says the country needs to stop treating phone use in schools as normal and start putting children’s wellbeing first.
“In school we should be guided by what’s in the best interest of children. I can quote examples from the national media where children have been harmed through their phone… I think it’s a hard job to protect children. And I think a stronger stance on mobile phones, a different stance on mobile phones, is the right way.”
Hurst is clear that he isn’t calling for phones to be banned altogether, “the genie is out of the bottle,” as he puts it. But he does believe that allowing phones to dominate children’s lives, especially in school, has been “yet another experiment at the expense of our children.”
“I’m not against banning them in society; the genie is out of the bottle, but I do feel there should be a lot more restrictions. I just think allowing it to have grown as we’ve done is yet another experiment at the expense of our children. And I just think we need to have a stronger line.”
Education as the real solution
For Hurst, though, removing phones from classrooms isn’t the only answer. He argues that the real way to get pupils off their phones is to make education so engaging that they no longer feel the need to reach for them.
“If education is of good quality, if it’s of interest, children will attend (school) children will behave, and children have good reason to be off their phones. They’ll go out and achieve, and they will do wonderful things for the future of this country.”
At Thomas Mills, students are offered a wide range of options, from triple sciences to creative arts, to ensure they can pursue subjects that inspire them. Hurst says this approach builds not just knowledge, but also adaptability, vital in a world that is constantly changing.
“It can socialise young people, it can introduce them to the best knowledge and learning that’s out there. It can lay foundations for future learning so that you can adapt… Ultimately, if I had to choose one thing, let’s get the agenda back to education.”
A national debate
His comments come as pressure grows nationwide for schools to restrict or ban phones. Campaigners, parents and even some government voices argue that phones are fuelling distraction, poor behaviour and even serious safeguarding issues. Many schools already enforce bans or restrictions, but others have resisted, leaving a patchwork of policies across the country.
Hurst believes this inconsistency is part of the problem.
“They have guidance, they have legislation, they have a voice, they have access to the media that I actually feel we could take a stronger stance as a country.”
Striking the balance
While some argue that mobile phones help children feel connected and safe, Hurst says the balance has tipped too far the other way. He wants to see stronger rules in schools, alongside a renewed commitment to giving pupils a broad and balanced education that makes them excited to learn.
For him, that combination, less phone time and more inspiring lessons, is the key to improving attendance, behaviour and wellbeing.
“Let’s get the agenda back to education,” he says.