Phone groan is another bad call for stressed kids

WHEN it comes to schools and mobile phones, I’ve always been a firm believer that the two don’t mix.

And for most schools I know, they don’t.

In my teenage son’s school for instance, phones are banned and there are serious consequences if the rules are broken.

Which is why I was a bit bemused by Gavin Williamson, who out of the blue vowed to ban phones... because in many places they pretty much already are.

What I find more worrying is where this ban is coming from. The Education Secretary said yesterday that lockdown had affected children’s discipline and order. I didn’t see the report of data on which this is based.

The fact is lockdown affected EVERYONE’S discipline. From what we ate to how much time we spent on gadgets. It’s a situation that none of us has ever lived through before. Adults have struggled to cope, let alone children.

Trying to punish kids for a situation that has affected their schoolwork, friendships and other activities just isn’t the right approach.

Talking to my Year 11 son, I know he’s more worried about how the lockdown will affect his GCSE grades and his ability to get into sixth form to do A levels than he is about not being able to use Snapchat in his lunch break.

And the idea that this is going to stop cyber bullying is ridiculous. Does Mr Williamson think bullies stop after school ends? Of course not.

Rather than coming up with headline-grabbing gimmicks, what parents want to see are real initiatives to support young people who have amazed me with their resilience over the past year.

Kids nearing the end of their school years need support, not only academically but also with preparing for the world of work. With offices closed and only essential staff allowed to go to their places of employment, how are young people supposed to get work experience and internships?

With funding slashed for many youth centres, where are children meant to go and where can they pick up hobbies that will keep them off their phones in the first place? Those are the questions we urgently need answered.

Young people have suffered enough. What they need now is someone in charge of education who truly cares more about childrens’ welfare than their public profile.

‘‘ Rather than gimmicks, parents need to see real initiatives

SILLY Pupil phone ban