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'Whole society' approach needed to stop pupils doom scrolling - with most schools already banning phones

Photo of a child's arms holding a smartphone

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A "whole society" approach is needed to stop children doom-scrolling beyond the classroom with most schools already banning mobile phones, research has found.

Data from the children's commissioner for England reveals 90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools already have policies in place that stop the use of mobile phones during the day.

However, online safety is still the second most cited concern for school leaders, second only to mental health services.

Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said the findings show banning phones in schools "will not keep children safe when they go home" and stronger action is needed.

Solutions she will call for include not giving children under-16s smartphones and greater accountability for tech companies, Sky News understands.

Dame Rachel will also call on parents to model the behaviour they want in their children, such as screen breaks, no phones at meals and not taking phones to bed.

Source: Sky News

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