'Of all of the issues in Education today, this is certainly not top of the list' - Crawley headteacher responds to government crackdown on mobile phones

Education Secretary and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan has said mobile phones ‘have no place in our classrooms’ after the government launched a crackdown.

The Government’s plan to minimise disruption and improve behaviour in classrooms. New guidance issued today (Monday, February 19) backs head teachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times.

Mrs Keegan said: “Mobile phones have no place in our classrooms. We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach.”

But Michael Ferry, headteacher at St Wilfrid’s Catholic School in Southgate, Crawley, does not believe this is what should be prioritised by the government when it comes to education.

Mr Ferry said: “Of all of the issues in Education today, this is certainly not top of the list. It feels like a “non policy” for a “non problem”.

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"Headteachers are already able to do what this guidance supposedly allows us to do. It’s non- statutory which means that we don’t have to follow it, so my question would be, “what’s the point?”.

"All schools will have a policy or expectation concerned with mobile phones in school. Here, we actually embrace them, students are taught to be responsible users and have the opportunity to use their phones in lessons to aid their learning when asked to do so by their teachers.

"Otherwise, they there are clear expectations concerning their use ie they are not allowed to be used between 0900 and 1520, unless, as I mentioned, asked to do so by members of staff. Banning them feels very draconian and what message does it send to students who are living in a digital world. Here, they add value to students education!

“There is so much in education that needs attention, lack of adequate funding to schools (especially in West Sussex), teachers leaving the profession, lack of new teachers coming into it, the failure to provide adequately for students with SEND…. The list goes on. How is this important, it is on no-ones (Headteachers) “to do” list as far as I know; to put it simply, what is the point?”

Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results. The Department for Education said the new guidance would ensure a consistent approach across all schools.

Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, said: “The government is right to be taking decisive action on the use of phones in schools, with our research indicating that 44 per cent of parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend on electronic devices and more than three quarters of parents support a ban on phones in schools.

“This is the number one concern for parents, according to the National Parent Survey. Society has sleepwalked into a position where children are addicted to harmful ‘electronic drugs’, and have no-escape from their digital dealers, not even within the relatively safe grounds of their schools.”