Orr-Ewing said there was evidence that devices were being used to access harmful “very violent or sexual” content or for cyberbullying.
All schoolchildren in England could face strict new ‘ban’ after legal action
All schoolchildren in England face a new “ban” after dads launched legal action. Fathers are calling on the Labour Party government to ban smartphones in England’s schools.
Two fathers told the education secretary they will seek judicial review in bid for statutory ban to safeguard children. Will Orr-Ewing and Pete Montgomery wrote to the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.
Orr-Ewing said there was evidence that devices were being used to access harmful “very violent or sexual” content or for cyberbullying.
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“We know that when children use smartphones they usually don’t do it in a safe way,” he said. “Parents have told us about boys being filmed naked in the PE changing rooms and then shared across the school.”
Girls were “being manipulated by predators on messaging platforms during lessons and in school toilets” and “tiny children” were being shown “graphic pornography” on the school bus by other children, he added.
The fathers said a ban on smartphones was a “no-brainer”, and argued that children should only have “brick phones” to communicate with parents if needed.
“A statutory ban would be a huge relief for headteachers and parents alike,” Montgomery said.
The DfE said: “Schools already have the power to ban phones, and we support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption, backed by our clear guidance on how to restrict their use.
“We know there are wider issues with children’s online experiences, which is why we are also bringing in better protections from harmful content through the Online Safety Act.”
The Department for Education now has 14 days to officially respond to the letter, after which point the claimants can issue judicial review proceedings.
It comes as the UK’s chief media regulator has promised age verification checks will prove a “really big moment” in the battle to keep children safe online.
Melanie Dawes, the head of Ofcom, said on Sunday that the new checks, which have to be in place later this month, would prove a turning point in regulating the behaviour of the world’s biggest online platforms.