Kent Police and Crime Commissioner backs schools’ decision to ban smartphones

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner supports head teachers and local leaders in the ban of year 7 pupils bringing smartphones to school.

The long-term aim is for secondary schools to become smartphone-free within five years, starting with each new Year 7 cohort not bringing phones to school and continuing that rule as they move up through the school.

Kent Police recorded 1,810 crimes in one year where both the victim and perpetrator were under 16 and the offence took place online.

These crimes include harassment, stalking and sharing explicit images; however Kent Police are working with local schools to educate children on how to be safe online.

We spoke to Kent's police commissioner, Matthew Scott, about the action they take to reduce the number of children being involved in online crime.

"Not just in terms of giving assemblies and presentation in classrooms, but by direct engagement with parents and the schools to make sure they are dealing with this."

As some schools in Kent have successfully started the ban, Matthew Scott hopes for a nation wide roll out of the ban to benefit school children across the UK

"We need that education engagement, otherwise it will lead to enforcement. We need the labour government to wake up and stop voting against it."

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