Northumberland councillors look at tackling ‘unprecedented’ impact of smartphone use in schools
Hexham East councillor Suzanne Fairless Aitken has campaigned on the issue for some time
A councillor in Northumberland has compared smartphone use in schools to using drugs and alcohol and called for tight restrictions on their use. It comes after the Government announced a mandatory ban on smartphones in schools from September ahead of a ban on social media for young people set to come into force in 2027.
Many schools already have policies on limiting smartphone use in the classroom in place. Councillors are set to look at the best practice with hopes it can boost concentration and behaviour among school students.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Coun Suzanne Fairless Aitken, who has campaigned on the issue for some time, said the impact of phones on young people was “unprecedented”.
She said:
“This is something that even kids I have spoken to in local schools who are on the front line say they wouldn’t give smartphones to their children. I’m not a fan of banning but we need restrictions on phones for certain times in your life.
“It is reasonable to say they shouldn’t be in schools. We don’t allow drugs or alcohol in schools and smartphones are a form of drugs with the dopamine hits.
“It’s affecting concentration and behaviour in a way that is unprecedented. Trials that have been run in schools down south are showing incredible results in a matter of weeks.
“It is amazing how much better their focus is. Children can do what they like at other times, but in school it is important for them to focus on their learning.”
The Department for Education expects schools to implement a policy whereby pupils do not have access to their mobile phone throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. The Government say pupils should also be taught the benefits of having a mobile phone-free environment and be encouraged to see such an environment as “desirable and valuable”.
At Thursday’s meeting of the county council’s family and children’s services scrutiny committee, it was agreed to set up a task and finish group to look at the issue and share best practice. The group will contain elected members and council officers as well as school leaders.
Executive director of education Audrey Kingham said some schools were “well-versed” in managing mobile phone use and had years of “good practice.” The exact details of what the group will work on have yet to be specified.
Coun Fairless Aitken added:
“I’m really pleased that we’re setting up this group to work with schools. We need to get parents onside, otherwise it will fail – but the tide is turning, parents realise we need to do something".