Mobile phone ban in English schools ‘smokescreen’ to mask real issues, say critics

Most schools had policies before government's plan, and there are concerns about safety and implications for carers of outright ban

Glyn Potts, head teacher at Newman Roman Catholic College in Oldham, could not hide his irritation at the morning headlines announcing a government ban on mobile phones in state schools in England.

His school, like the vast majority, already has a mobile phone policy. All banned and have been for 10 years," he said, dismissing the announcement by the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, as a smokescreen" to distract from the real challenges facing schools, such as underfunding, teacher recruitment and providing for pupils with special educational needs.