UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has officially announced that all schools in England will be legally required to ban smartphones. According to a report by The Financial Times, the decision comes after months of growing pressure from teachers, parents and the Conservative Party, who argued that “guidance” alone wasn’t enough to keep classrooms focused and children safe.
Previously, the government suggested that a formal ban wasn’t necessary because most headteachers were already restricting phone use in schools, the report noted.
What is changing
The new rules change the status of phone restrictions from “optional guidance” to a requirement. This means schools are now legally forced to ensure they are phone-free environments throughout the school day, unless they have a specific, legally justifiable reason to allow them.“Mobile phones have no place in schools. This amendment gives legal force to what schools are already doing in practice,” the Department for Education said in a statement. Meanwhile, the move was widely celebrated by opposition MPs and education campaigners. Laura Trott, the Shadow Education Secretary, called the news “fantastic” for the country. “I’m glad they’ve now listened. This is the right step for improving behavior and raising attainment in our classrooms,” Trott wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
UK working on banning social media for kids
While the school phone ban is now a requirement, the UK government is looking even further into the digital lives of British children. Taking inspiration from Australia, the UK is currently consulting on whether to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media entirely. Prime Minister Starmer recently told tech leaders that protecting children from online dangers is a top priority, suggesting that strict limits on access would be “preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation.”Notably, Australia banned social media for kids under the age of 16 in December. Several other countries have either restricted or are planning to ban social media for kids.
