ENGLAND- The UK government plans to introduce a legal requirement banning smartphones in schools in England. Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said an amendment will be added to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to make it a formal rule that schools must enforce phone-free policies. The Department for Education says this will legally back up what many schools are already doing.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson previously urged schools to adopt phone-free days based on guidance issued earlier this year. The government now wants to place that guidance on a statutory footing, meaning schools must follow it. Officials say this is different from a full legal ban proposed by the Conservatives, as it strengthens guidance rather than imposing a blanket prohibition.
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