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MOBILE phones should be banned in schools by law to stop children from sexting and texting during lessons, the former head of Ofsted said yesterday.
Sir Michael Wilshaw urged the Government to make it illegal for pupils to have them on school grounds because they were ‘far too distracting’.
In extreme cases, the ban could lead to court action against parents whose children repeatedly refuse to comply.
He also said that parents who fail to attend parents’ evenings should be fined, and condemned the ITV show Love Island as a ‘sad reflection of today’s education system’ that showed how ‘ mediocre’ English schools had become.
Sir Michael, who led Ofsted until last year and is known for his tough approach to discipline, is a former head teacher.
His comments about mobiles come in the week Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said he admired heads who did not allow pupils to use phones at school. Following a pledge in Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign last year, France has passed a law banning students from using mobiles anywhere at school.
Speaking at the Festival of Education at Wellington College in Berkshire, Sir Michael said: ‘Any sensible head would ban mobile phones. It’s interesting that President Macron is bringing in legislation to ban mobile phones in state schools. We should do the same.
‘It’s far too distracting for children. Texting, sexting – mobile phones go off in classrooms, disrupting lessons. Ban them.
‘If children want to use a phone in an emergency, they can use the school phone.’
Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman is also throwing her weight behind school leaders who ban the devices, telling the festival that the place of smartphones in the classroom was ‘dubious at best’.
However, Sir Michael is the first to suggest that a ban should be enshrined in law.
Sir Michael also laid into Love Island, admitting that he had only watched it for a few minutes. The reality show, which has been mocked for the ignorance of some of its contestants, is the perfect example of how schools are failing youngsters, he said. He added: ‘I saw five minutes of it the other day and was absolutely appalled. It is a sad reflection of today’s education system.’