Many parents support a ban on smartphones in schools on the basis that it could restrict young people’s access to social media until they are old enough to navigate it safely, according to dozens of messages sent to the Department of Education.
Phones have been banned in schools since the start of the school year, while the Government’s €9 million for smartphone pouches at second level has sparked criticism from Opposition parties who labelled it “wasteful and unnecessary”.
Helen McEntee, the newly appointed Minister for Education, has pledged to press ahead with the move.
Records released under the Freedom of Information Act show there has been a wave of support among many parents in favour of then minister for education Norma Foley’s announcement of a school ban on mobile phones.
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“I have two children, aged 10 and 8. They do not have phones and I am to hold off as long as I can. The pressure is relentless and will only get worse,” said one mother. “If phones were banned this would be a significant and major help for those of us trying to protect our kids and keep them off social media until they are old enough to navigate it safely.”
Another said: “It can’t happen soon enough...Parents find it hard every day as they are competing literally for their child’s full attention and battle against usage of mobile,” wrote one parent.
“I believe if schools stand together and ban [phones] what an enormous relief and help for all.”
Another wrote: “Please, please [bring in a ban]. Mobiles are so unhealthy in every way. Ban them, please, for primary and secondary school...this would be wonderful and make teachers lives so much easier.”
A “concerned parent of teenagers and a teacher” also voiced strong support for the move. “Please continue to work hard to achieve this. It is vital for the mental health of our teenagers.”
Another wrote: “I can’t say strongly enough how pleased I am as a parent to read reports of your efforts to curb mobile phone use in schools...Although school reports that they have bans on phone use in school, in reality use of phones is widespread, especially at breaktimes.”
“As a very concerned parent I believe it is something that must be tackled as a community and not left up to Government, but it makes it so much easier to say no to children when as an issue it is being taken seriously at all levels.”
Another parent welcomed the ban on the basis that “teachers and principals seem reluctant to bring in any rules to ban phones on school grounds”, while a mother pointed out that “it makes it so much easier to say no to children when as an issue it is being taken seriously at all levels.”
“I cannot overstate how impactful and ultimately popular this will be,” said another. “There is an urgent appetite among the general public for control of smartphones and social media...it will be a huge leap in creating a healthier society.”
Support was not universal, however. The National Parents' Council voiced concerns, stating that “current research does not support phone bans in either primary or post-primary schools”.
“We believe, based on the evidence, that more efforts should be made to support parents and children around developing critical skills that support appropriate use of the internet and that support resilience among children who need these skills for what will be a very different world than the one we know today,” the council said.
New research released last week concluded that banning phones in schools was not linked to pupils getting higher grades or having better mental health.
However, academics at University of Birmingham did find that spending longer on smartphones and social media in general was linked with worse results for all of those measures.
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