Mobile phone ban in schools sparks cost and social media concerns

• The Government is introducing an amendment to its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to make a ban on mobile phones in schools statutory.
• Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), warned that this statutory ban might merely shift the problem of phone use from inside to outside school gates, advocating for social media regulation instead.
• Mr Di’Iasio also highlighted the substantial logistical and financial burden on schools, estimating an average secondary school could spend at least £12,000 on measures to enforce the ban.
• Conservative peer Lord Nash suggested raising the age for accessing harmful social media features to 16.
• MPs are expected to vote on the Government’s amendment on Wednesday, with the Department for Education acknowledging concerns about supporting headteachers in implementing these policies.