Schools: Mobile Phones

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent Excerpts

Thursday 28th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, for opening this debate on the increasing interest in mobile phones-free schools and the move towards mobile phone-free school environments in recent months and years. Before I move on, I say to noble Lords that the irony of getting updates from the Box on WhatsApp during this debate has not been lost on me.

I am grateful for the many excellent contributions today from Members across your Lordships’ House, but specifically and especially I want to congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, on her excellent maiden speech. I welcome her to our House and look forward to hearing from her in the months and years ahead.

Both the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, and the noble Lord, Lord Chartres, emphasised the role of young people’s voices in this debate, and the fact that they are not heard. At this point, I need to put on record my wonderful stepdaughter, who is 13 going on 30, and who has very clear views on this. Her voice is what will drive me today. She is determined that I should not say that TikTok should be banned—so I will not. I invite the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, to work with me to facilitate DfE officials meeting with young advocates, so that we can make sure that their voices are heard at the centre of policy.

This debate has been an education. In preparing for it, what became clear—which was just touched on by noble Lords—is that the majority of academic evidence on this topic was gathered prior to Covid. The bulk of evidence comes from 2019 or before; very little of it has been updated. In this world, 2019 might as well have been 1979. We need to look at the data and move forward; Covid has changed everything, but so has the use of technology in schools, so we do need to consider.

Before I move on to the substance of this debate, I want to thank the noble Lord, Lord Strathcarron, for highlighting Learn with the Lords. It is one of the things I miss most from sitting on the Ministerial Benches and it is a joy to participate in—I would urge all noble Lords to engage.

Turning to the debate, I will begin by setting out this Government’s firm belief that every child and young person should know that success can belong to them. This comes from all children achieving and thriving and being able to benefit from the opportunities provided by education. There is a fierce debate happening globally about the impact of mobile phones, or smart devices, as my noble friend Lord Mitchell so passionately highlighted, and social media on children’s well-being and development.

Teachers and school leaders tell us about the negative impact that mobile phones can have on children’s learning, leading to bullying, distraction and disruption, as the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Oxford so clearly outlined. Indeed, in 2023 almost a third of secondary school pupils reported that in most of their lessons they used a mobile phone when they were not supposed to. Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom, and we will always support our hard-working and dedicated teachers to make this happen.

To reassure noble Lords, as the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, emphasised, the Government’s Mobile Phones in Schools Guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including in lessons, the time between them, breaktimes and lunchtimes. In response to the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, this guidance, as with all guidance, will always be under review and updated, and we will report back if are to be any further changes.

On the questions raised by the noble Baronesses, Lady Kidron and Lady Jenkin, and the noble Earl, Lord Effingham, on existing government guidance on mobile phones and making it statutory, the guidance already sets clear expectations. The Government believe that this is sufficient at this time and the position is supported by unions, which hold the view that schools already have the ability and accountability to put the guidance into practice. We will continue to monitor this.

We know that, by the age of 12, 97% of children in Britian have their own mobile phone and that almost all children are using these devices to watch videos and use social media. This can lead to them seeing content that they themselves have described as harmful or worrying. Around one-third of children aged from eight to 17 have seen something that they would describe in this way, with many of them also being exposed to hurtful content via cyberbullying and algorithms, as many noble Lords have highlighted.

When it comes to their parents, almost half feel that the risks of social media outweigh the benefits—I regularly feel that way. This is something we must all consider when making decisions on the use of technology, particularly because the most common reason for 62% of children aged between eight and 17 having multiple accounts for the same social network is to prevent family seeing some content. That is 62% of our children who have multiple accounts online. Some of the reasons for having them may be valid, but some may not be.

When it comes to what is happening in schools, last year around a third of pupils reported that most of their lessons were disrupted in some way by a mobile phone. This prevents teachers teaching and prevents pupils benefiting from the opportunities that school provides them with. Not only that but there is some evidence that this has a greater impact on the most disadvantaged pupils, with those eligible for free school meals 6% more likely to have their learning disrupted.

On some of the issues raised in relation to mobile phones in schools, the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, specifically referred to the lack of media literacy in early years. The Government have established an independent curriculum and assessment review, which will seek to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and maths. It also includes the key digital skills needed for future life and the critical thinking skills needed to ensure that children are resilient to misinformation and extremist content online. We will look to see how that applies to early years, and I will write to the noble Baroness with an update.

On the current reasons for this policy, this Government do not believe it is necessary to legislate to ban phones entirely from schools. We know that schools are already prohibiting their use, including through outright bans. Even before guidance was published, around 97% of all schools in England had policies restricting mobile phone use in some way. The guidance tightened that up, setting a higher expectation for restricting use through the day and across school sites.

There are a range of ways in which a mobile-free environment can be achieved. We trust head teachers to develop a mobile phone policy. After all, they are the people who know their schools, their pupils and their communities best, as the noble Lord, Lord Hampton, outlined—I thank him for his excellent speech. Each school operates in different communities and has different needs, especially outside the school. As my noble friend Lord Knight described, some schools ban devices from their site, providing a simple boundary that is easy to enforce.

Some schools have established bag-free days when all personal possessions, including mobile phones, are kept in lockers or similar storage. Others choose to collect mobile phones from pupils on arrival and return them at the end of the day, which can be useful for safety when pupils have longer travel times or when it is dark walking home. We encourage all schools to consult with parents and pupils to make sure they can effectively mitigate concerns, and so that all members of the school community share clear expectations.

With regard to some of the specifics that follow from this, I think it was the noble Lord, Lord Russell, who asked about the role of Ofsted. The DfE is already taking steps towards delivering a better accountability system, which will see school report cards introduced from September 2025. A new inspection framework will have greater focus on pupil outcomes to drive higher standards, alongside a range of measures to reduce anxiety for the students and staff being inspected. Consultation on that process will begin in early 2025.

On the impact on disadvantaged children, including those with SEND, which some noble Lords touched on, the Mobile Phones in Schools guidance contains practical advice for schools, including case studies that consider how to ensure that the needs of all children are being met while continuing to remove distractions in lessons. This includes making clear that, even while restricting mobile phone use, schools must comply with their wider legal duties. That includes making reasonable adjustments when necessary for disabled pupils; schools must take reasonable steps to avoid disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices on mobile phones.

Schools have a duty to have arrangements in place to support pupils with medical conditions, as was touched on—for instance, where children with diabetes can monitor their blood glucose levels from their own mobile phone, or where those with hearing loss can manage their hearing aid via an app. There may be other exceptional circumstances where schools should consider making adaptations to their policy for specific pupils because of their needs or circumstances, including at home.

We want to make clear that the Government’s view on mobile phones in schools should not be construed as anti-technology. As my noble friend Lord Knight made clear, technology is a huge part of modern society so the emphasis needs to be on using it safely to make sure that all pupils continue to access the positive opportunity that tech can afford them. We understand that, for many children, online spaces can be important for developing a sense of self and can provide an opportunity to express oneself and to learn outside the classroom.

Alongside that, when used appropriately, the internet and social media can be places where many young people can engage in political discourse—I would have—and develop a wider knowledge of current affairs. If we restrict access to these spaces, we risk young people losing a key opportunity to grow as people and be better informed about the world around them. The Government are taking the initiative and ensuring that social media companies take responsibility for the safety of young users. Parents should be able to feel confident that the digital world can be a space where the negatives eventually no longer outweigh the benefits.

As the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, emphasised, with the use of mobile phones already prohibited in school, it is outside school that children are using these devices and spending time online. Particularly where use is excessive, displacing other positive activities, there are risks involved. Last year, UNESCO linked increased screen time to adverse effects on young people’s mental and physical health. Worldwide studies show that increased screen time, which is typically both the largest and most impactful on school-age children, can negatively affect diet, sleep, eye health and mental health.

However, this remains a complex issue and, overall, the evidence remains mixed. We cannot say that mobile phones are universally bad. For some young people, particularly some of the most vulnerable who may be struggling with a feeling of belonging, finding an identity and a community online can be hugely beneficial for their mental health. Mobile phones can help to build and maintain relationships that provide a real lifeline. For other young people, online contact can help them to discover their passions, support educational engagement or enrichment and, in turn, promote lifelong interests or career prospects.

To realise these benefits, it is vital that all children and young people can use mobile phones safely. Everyone, including parents, schools and providers, is responsible for making sure that children are aware of the importance of internet safety. That is why the updated Teaching Online Safety in Schools guidance helps schools to deliver a co-ordinated and coherent curriculum on all aspects of internet safety—not just those related to relationships, sex and health—tailored to the students they teach.

As the noble Lord, Lord Russell, highlighted, we want and need to ensure that schools bring parents on board when they implement restrictions on the use of mobile phones. We want to encourage schools to consult with and build support from parents to develop a policy that works in context at home and school. Through schools articulating a clear stance on mobile phone use and the risks posed by social media, many parents may feel prompted to give further consideration to how children and young people are using mobile phones out of school too.

I have a great deal to discuss on tech companies, based on noble Lords’ contributions. Although the existing guidance from the DfE does an effective job in empowering schools to prohibit the use of mobile phones in their own classrooms, protecting children does not stop at the school gates. The Online Safety Act takes a zero- tolerance approach to the protection of children and ensures that platforms are held responsible for the content they host. All companies in scope need to take robust steps to protect children from illegal, inappropriate and harmful content and activity.

Many noble Lords asked about the role of technology. The role of technology for learning is key. I visited two primary schools last week, and iPads were being used in nearly every classroom. They were working and coding games, which was beyond me. It was a Friday afternoon and I understand that, on Friday afternoon, what used to be playtime when I was at school is now coding time. I think I had it easier than children as they are developing. The benefits of technology can be broader than improved learning outcomes. Schools and colleges can use technology to increase the accessibility of the curriculum and increase student and parental engagement, which is what I saw last week.

With regard to safeguarding and improving mental health more widely, although this is often raised in the context of social media, children’s mental health and well-being are shaped by complex range of risks and protective factors. These span individual-level factors, such as those linked to an individual’s overall health and abilities, and, for example, exposure to adverse and traumatic events. Familial and community-level factors also play a part, including the quality of parental and peer relationships, which are influenced through wider experiences at home and in school. There are also overall environmental factors spanning the physical environment—things such as housing and access to green spaces, as well as societal factors including stigma and discrimination. The evidence suggests a longer list of factors than these examples.

The Government are committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and spans a wide range of public services: health, welfare, education and beyond. We know that children and young people can struggle to access support for their mental health. We have committed to providing access to specialist mental health provision in every school in England. We will also be putting in place open access youth future hubs in every community, including access to mental health support workers, and we will recruit 8,500 new mental health workers to treat children and adults.

I thank my noble friend Lady Goudie and the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, for highlighting the gender division on some of these issues. The Government have a clear mission to halve violence against women and girls, both offline and online. As noble Lords would expect me to say, we are taking this very seriously on a cross-departmental level, working with nations and regions to deliver this mission. I look forward to working with all noble Lords on delivering it.

The noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, raised the mental health impact of phones in schools. All state schools and colleges have been offered a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025. Up until 31 August 2024, 17,100 schools and colleges had successfully claimed a grant, representing 72% of the total number of settings.

The noble Baroness, Lady Cass, raised the issue of screen time. Through statutory relationship, sex and health education, pupils are taught about the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices, and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical well-being.

The noble Baronesses, Lady Owen and Lady Grender, and my noble friend Lady Goudie raised the differing impact on boys and girls. We are focused on building the evidence base to inform any future action and DSIT has launched a research project looking at the links between social media and children’s well-being. I will speak to them for an update on how we are recording the impact on girls.

The noble Lord, Lord Chartres, raised the issue of addictive technology. The child safety duties under the Online Safety Act apply across all areas of a service, including its functionalities and the way in which it is operated and used by children, as well as content present at the service. If a provider’s risk assessment identifies habit-forming or addictive behaviour is an activity which risks causing sufficient harm to an appreciable number of children on its service, it must take appropriate steps to manage and mitigate these risks.

The noble Baroness, Lady Grender, and the noble Earl, Lord Effingham, referenced what has happened today in Australia. We are monitoring the legislative developments and will use the UK-Australia MoU to share evidence and try to learn from each other’s approach towards this issue.

I was asked about victims of crime. Time is short and the answer I have is very long, so I will write to noble Lords.

In conclusion, we can do more to protect children and young people from the risk of harm online and on social media when they walk out of the school gates. We have been clear that the Government’s priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act, so that children can benefit from its wide-ranging protections as soon as possible and be able to safely benefit from technological advances for years to come.

The noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, raised the fact that I was responding to this debate. The person with responsibility for this policy area is a Minister in the other place—Stephen Morgan. I will arrange for the noble Baroness to meet with him to discuss the issues in more detail.

In closing, I repeat my thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, for bringing forward this debate. I appreciate that there are some issues I did not touch on, including the Children’s Commissioner’s survey, but I will write to noble Lords on specific points to which I have not been able to respond.