103 primary schools in the London Borough of Barnet will ban smartphones from September. In addition, 23 secondary schools will commit to removing smartphones from the school day entirely.
Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC) charity said the “groundbreaking” decision was made possible by school leaders, Barnet Public Health, Dan Tomlinson MP, and the SFC community. The charity hopes to encourage parents to delay buying a smartphone until their children are at least 14 and prevent social media access until they are 16.
From this year, according to the charity, all new year 7 students in the borough in North London will be banned from bringing smartphones to school, up to year 11. This, the SFC says, is the first such policy in the UK.
More than 63,000 state-educated children in Barnet will benefit from a seven-hour window in the day to “learn, socialise and grow, free from addictive algorithms,” according to the SFC.
“There is a lot of evidence to show there is a direct correlation and causative link between the use of smartphones and social media in young children and the rise in cases of depression, anxiety and self-harm,” the charity’s regional leader for north London, Nova Eden. “We really want children to be free from the dangers of smartphones and social media and to enjoy a play-based childhood, which is full of healthy development – away from devices and screens. When parents, schools and educational leaders come together, we can create meaningful change for the next generation,” she added.
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