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Pupils: Mobile Phones

Asked by Bradley ThomasConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 20 February 2025UIN 29183

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of smartphone usage in school on recent trends in youth mental health.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

​The government’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance supports schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. Headteachers are responsible for implementation of guidance within their schools.

​Research suggests excessive screentime can be detrimental to children’s wellbeing. The Online Safety Act aims to protects children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and to ensure that technology companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users, particularly children.

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