This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council on behalf of Children's Commissioner for England for the attention of all schools.
School phone policies
The Children's Commissioner for England has published a report looking at school phone policies in England. Survey findings based on responses from 19,000 schools and college in England show that the majority of schools have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones in line with the Department for Education’s non-statutory guidance; but despite these policies, most schools still have concerns about children’s safety online. The report calls on the Government to provide support to headteachers in implementing strong smartphone policies. It also emphasises the need for collective action from tech companies, regulators and parents/carers to ensure that screen time and online content does not negatively impact children’s wellbeing and development.
Read the press release: Press Notice: Most headteachers restrict mobile phones in school hours – but major new survey shows online harms still among their biggest concerns
Read the report: School phone policies in England: Findings from the Children’s Commissioner’s School and College Survey
Smartphone use
The Guardian has published a news story discussing findings from an analysis of children’s smartphone and social media use featured in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The BMJ article discusses concerns around blanket bans on smartphone use and looks at: a rights based approach; age appropriate smartphone and social media design; and education provided by schools and families.
Read the Guardian news story: Blanket ban on teen smartphone use ‘potentially detrimental’, says academic
Read the BMJ article: Approaches to children’s smartphone and social media use must go beyond bans