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Children: Digital Technology

Asked by Nick TimothyConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 18 December 2025UIN 94480

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of screentime on children in schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey

Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.

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