Charlotte Carson, who is also a teacher, said that a law restricting phones in school would stop individual principals having “to fight their own battle”.
“If we have legislation we’re not asking head teachers to fight battles with their parents or their communities,” she said.
A DE spokesperson said Givan “recently engaged in discussions” with the Smartphone Free Childhood group about their work.
The spokesperson said ‘The Parent Pact’ initiative “empowers parents to work together to delay smartphone use, helping to reduce online risks and foster stronger connections both at school and at home”.
“The department has written to schools to make them aware of this initiative and provide more information on how they can get involved,” they added.