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The British Ministry of Education has published guidelines prohibiting the use of cell phones in schools throughout the day, including breaks.
The program is designed to reduce disruptions and improve behavior in classrooms.
"The use of phones in schools may lead to cyberbullying, distraction and interruptions in classes, resulting in loss of study time," the Ministry of Education said in a statement.
"We are determined that all schools ban the use of mobile phones throughout the school day - not just in class but also during breaks and lunchtime," said British Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.
The guidelines are non-binding and offer various options to the schools, including a complete ban on cell phones on school grounds, a move that they say is "easy to enforce"
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Other options include requiring students to deposit their phones with teachers before the first class, or asking them to keep them in locked cabinets that they don't have access to during the school day.
Alternatively, teachers were told they could enforce a "see, hear or use" policy, which allows students to keep their phones in their bags but warns them they will be confiscated if they go outside.
The guidelines state that school staff should not use their personal cell phones for personal reasons in front of students during the school day, and parents should be informed that they will need to contact the school secretary if they need to speak to their children.
"We are determined that all schools ban the use of cell phones throughout the school day"/ShutterStock
According to data from the Communications Authority in Great Britain, about 97% of children in Great Britain own a smartphone by the age of 12. However, teachers' organizations have expressed doubts about the impact of the move.
However, the chairman of the Principals' Association in Great Britain claimed that the excessive use of smartphones is a problem that mainly occurs outside of school, and most schools already have policies on the matter. At the same time, the teachers' organizations suggest focusing on broader problems of the education system and on solutions that will be effective in all areas of young people's lives .
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