Teachers urged to ban kids from taking mobile phones to school by Culture Secretary Matt Hancock
MOBILE phones should be banned from schools, the Culture Secretary has said.
Matt Hancock hailed headteachers who do not allow the devices and called for more to “follow their lead”.
He warned that mobiles could have a "real impact" on students' achievements, but insisted the Government would not legislate to outlaw their use.
He told the "There are a number of schools across the country that simply don't allow them.
"While it is up to individual schools to decide rather than government, I admire head teachers who do not allow mobiles to be used during the school day. I encourage more schools to follow their lead."
He added that there was evidence to suggest banning phones in schools worked, and said "setting boundaries" was important.
He acknowledged the role of parents in teaching youngsters to use technology safely, but said schools should also play a big part.
It comes as a group of Tory MPs echoed the call for a ban on mobiles during the school day, saying there is evidence it can have "a beneficial effect on pupils' ability to learn".
In a letter to the Telegraph, the seven politicians cited a 2015 study by the London School of Economics, writing: "Where schools banned smartphones from the premises, or required them to be handed in at the start of the day, pupils' chances of getting five good GCSEs increased by an average of two per cent.”
Last month Hancock revealed radical Government plans that could limit teenagers to as little as two hours of social media and gaming a day.
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He said the limits would be considered under new legislation to curb the power of web iants such as Facebook and Google.
Hancock faced ridicule in April after launching a social media smartphone app all about himself.
The app - called Matt Hancock - is packed with cringeworthy posts advertising the MP's constituency activities and encouraging the public to connect with him.
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