UK schools now have a legal obligation to keep children off mobile phones
- New statutory government guidance now obliges all schools to implement policies prohibiting pupils from accessing mobile phones during the school day.
- Schools are employing various methods to enforce the ban, including ‘no see no hear’ rules, brickphone-only mandates, and magnetic phone pouches.
- Headteachers using phone pouches report improved classroom concentration and social interaction among students, supported by early research from King’s College London.
- Critics argue that phone pouches are an unnecessary financial expense that places an extra enforcement burden on teaching staff compared to simpler policies.
- The Department for Education highlighted the move as part of broader plans to limit screen time, restrict harmful social media, and build online media literacy.
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