Wales Rejects Nationwide School Phone Ban for Under-16s as England Plans Daylong Smartphone Curbs
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Wales Rejects Nationwide School Phone Ban for Under-16s as England Plans Daylong Smartphone Curbs
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Rhun ap Iorwerth said Wales will not impose a national ban on mobile phones in schools, leaving restrictions to individual schools and governing bodies.
Plaid Cymru's Welsh government will instead "empower schools" to decide what protects pupils, despite the party manifesto backing restrictions for under-16s through local authorities and school leaders.
England is moving the other way: the UK government plans legislation requiring schools to keep campuses free of smartphones throughout the school day.
Ap Iorwerth also called for evidence-based action on social media use by under-16s, citing research suggesting harms to children can be comparable to smoking; UK ministers say new measures in England will come by end-2026.
With conflicting data on school phone bans, will Wales's flexible policy prove more effective than England's nationwide prohibition for student well-being?
If smartphones are the 'tobacco of our age,' should the focus be on school bans or on regulating the companies that create them?