13 hours ago
Government to ban children from using phones in all Jersey schools following ITV News investigation
Jersey's government will ban the use of mobile phones in all schools for students up to the end of Key Stage Four.
A draft letter to parents and guardians, leaked to ITV Channel, reveals that from the start of the next academic year, all Government of Jersey schools and colleges will not allow pupils to use their phones at any time during the school day.
The restriction covers break and lunchtimes and all students, up to and including Year 11.
The new guidelines also say that schools "will not hesitate to contact police" if severe inappropriate content is accessed during school time.
Parents are asked to "strongly consider your decision to buy a smartphone or give an old smartphone to your child".
This follows an ITV Channel investigation into the impact of smartphones on young people, including an experiment where devices were taken from a group of students for two weeks.
This new guidance sees Jersey go further than most countries around the world.
Within the draft letter, parents and guardians are given the following advice:
Not to send children to school with a smartphone.
If you make the decision to give a smartphone to your child, ensure you have "control over its use" and that "you can access what your child is using it for".
If you decide to send your child to school with a smartphone against government advice, regularly remind them that it should be left switched off and not carried around school.
If a smartphone is found in use during the school day, the school is asked to take it from the student and keep it as per their policy.
When a student evades policy to use a phone, they will be "dealt with according to school behaviour policy".
If a student is seen with access to inappropriate sites and content, "We will not hesitate to involve the police, should it be of a severe nature".
Emily Jennings from the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood says: "So many parents have been sharing their concerns about seeing illegal and harmful content on peers' and other children's devices in school.
"Having a smartphone-free school day just means kids will be free to learn without distraction and play and socialise in real life. Play is a fundamental part of child development. Without it, we just don't develop the skills of innovation, imagination and socialisation that we really need to see in adults in our society.
"Many countries are looking into a social media ban for under-16-year-olds, and we are seeing more and more harmful and negative effects of the impact of social media on young people."
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