00:00 Mobile phones are set to be banned in schools across England to minimise classroom disruption.
00:05 Last week on the 19th of February, new guidance was issued which backs headteachers in prohibiting
00:10 the use of mobile phones during the academic day.
00:14 Schools around the country have already enforced rules and seen great success, and this guidance
00:18 is supposed to ensure a consistent approach nationwide.
00:21 We spoke to people in Manchester about their thoughts on banning mobile phones in schools.
00:26 It probably could cause problems, yes. I think in the break time, I think it's OK if they
00:33 have the phone, but obviously during lessons, if they've got the phone on them, then it
00:37 could interrupt and make the teacher's life a bit harder and encourage negative behaviour.
00:43 And they could even be looking up answers on the phone or things like that. So it's
00:49 good for them to have a phone to go to and from school for security if they get lost
00:53 or something happens, and in the break time at lunch, but obviously not during lessons.
00:59 But then how do you control that?
01:01 I think when I was in school, I thought they shouldn't be, but now I think probably, yeah.
01:06 I think it just causes more hassle than it's worth. Yeah, I think they should be.
01:12 I think it's really, really complicated and I think we probably need to look at learning
01:18 more seriously and look at the future of learning and what we want people to learn if they can
01:23 use AI to write their essays. What actually do we need people to learn in schools? And
01:30 there needs to be a great big debate about that and then that will influence questions
01:34 on mobile phones.
01:36 I think mobile phones generally, in many schools, are already banned. I know in my son's school
01:43 that they can't have their phones out or switched on all day, so I don't think this is anything
01:49 new really.
01:50 It's just about giving guidelines to schools, isn't it, and making it look as if you are
01:56 taking action over something that may be a problem. But I think really, most schools
02:02 have got this in hand. I mean, maybe I'm naive, maybe it's just my son's school, but I know
02:07 many schools have already got guidelines around mobile phones because they obviously are distracting
02:13 in class.
02:14 I'm all for it, for the sake of the teachers. I understand how challenging that can be if
02:19 you're trying to control a group of kids and they're getting distracted. I think it could
02:24 bring issues with logistics of trying to contact your parents if you need to get picked up
02:28 after school or that kind of thing. So it's a tricky one, but I'm all for it.
02:38 I'm pretty against it. I don't think you should have your phones in school. I mean, when I
02:40 was in school, they had like blockers in our walls that you couldn't even use your cell
02:44 phones while you were in class. But it's just distracting. You don't need them. There's
02:49 no point.
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