Nearly Half of UK Parents Think Schools Should Ban Phones

It’s hardly any secret that the use of smartphones by pupils at schools is a highly contentious subject. While you might have difficulty getting the kids to agree, many parents (and teachers) think that not only are they an unnecessary distraction, but can also lead to other problems. These include cyberbullying, loss/theft and, of course, the social requirement to try and fit in with a modern phone.

In a report via the BBC, however, it seems that nearly half of all UK parents now believe that schools should simply draw a line under the matter entirely by enforcing a blanket ban on phones.

Nearly Half of UK Parents Support a School Smartphone Ban

A recent USwitch survey concluded that by the end of 2019, UK school children would be carrying a total of around £2.3bn worth of technology. Be this in the form of smartphones, tablets, laptops or other electronic devices. Taking this a step further, it is believed that parents are spending around $13bn each year just to pay for their kid’s phone usage!

With 49% of parents now supporting the ban, it’s clearly not just as simple a case of kids playing with their phones while they should be learning. It’s actually a rather complex issue.

What Do We Think?

While the UK allows schools to make this decision on their own, many countries have already gone as far to enforce a national ban. France, for example, doesn’t allow smartphones in their schools.

There will, however, always be the argument that many parents like their kids to have phones. Specifically, for safety and contact purposes. You could, however, easily counter that by saying that a Nokia 3310 would do nicely in that remit. That then could be countered by the likelihood that such a child would be the subject of ridicule. Particularly if their peers have iPhone X’s playing Pokemon Go while they are trying to beat their Snake high score.

Put simply, it’s a knotty one. Whatever happens, you’re likely going to upset someone here! It is, however, perhaps surprising to see that nearly most parents now believe that they should be banned.

What do you think? Do you think smartphones should be allowed in schools? – Let us know in the comments!