Just weeks after returning to classrooms, schools in England and Wales are facing renewed pressure to ban smartphones as Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna, joins forces with Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet in calling for a nationwide prohibition. They urge Labour leader Keir Starmer to introduce legislation, citing concerns that the current voluntary guidance has created an inconsistent 'postcode lottery' across the country.
Ms Ghey highlighted alarming statistics, stating research shows only 11% of secondary schools enforce a full ban on smartphones, either by prohibiting them entirely or requiring secure storage throughout the school day. She believes such a ban could have prevented her daughter's issues, who was 'sucked away from society and into the online world where she was at risk of so many harms'. Brianna, a 16-year-old transgender girl from Warrington, was reportedly addicted to her phone before her murder in February 2023.
The government has resisted a statutory ban, arguing headteachers are best placed to decide on mobile phone policies for their individual schools. In 2024, guidance recommended that schools develop policies to prohibit phone use throughout the entire school day, but a subsequent survey revealed while 90% had some restrictions, only 3.5% banned phones from school grounds and just 7.9% required pupils to hand in devices for the full day.
The 'Phone Free Education' campaign advocates for ministers to introduce a comprehensive legal ban, coupled with funding for schools to implement solutions like lockable pouches for devices. The initiative has garnered support from public figures including Stephen Graham, Frank Bruno, Will Young, and parenting website Mumsnet. Jonathan Haidt, author of 'The Anxious Generation', who attributes smartphones to a mental health crisis among children, is also backing the campaign.