Half of parents think mobile phones should be banned in schools - do you agree?

Almost half of parents in the UK (49 per cent) believe that mobile phones should be banned at their child’s school, a study has found.

One in eight said that the school that their child attended had already made the decision to ban mobiles.

A survey of around 1,000 people by price comparison website uSwitch also found that the average value of gadgets taken to school by children to be £301.

Opinium, which carried out the survey, also said that this estimated value was expected to rise in coming years.

A distraction or a learning tool?

Those in favour of phone bans in school see phones as a distraction that could have a serious negative impact on children’s educational achievement.

However, those who oppose such bans claim that they are preventing children from learning how to ‘self-regulate’ their phone use.

It has also been argued that schools are supposed to prepare children for the world, and since there are so many gadgets involved with day-to-day life nowadays, schools should reflect that.

Ernest Doku, mobile phones expert at uSwitch, said that choosing whether or not to ban mobile phones at school was not a straightforward decision.

"The number of gadgets that schoolchildren are carrying into class every day is mind-boggling," he commented.

"Children are very likely to be using a whole range of gadgets when they enter the world of work, and school is one place where they should be able to learn about technology in a safe environment.

"In addition, many parents want the peace of mind of being able to contact their children in emergencies, and find out where they are if they don't appear at home at the usual time, whether by calling them or by using an app."

Do you think schools should ban mobile phones?