I begged my son’s school to ban smartphones. Every parent should do the same

10 March 2025, 16:00

By Andy Preston

Yesterday, I wrote to my son’s Head Master asking him to ban smartphones at the school.

This was a selfish act to help my son. But for the sake of all children’s welfare, we urgently need a total ban in every school.

Teachers and schools are too relaxed about the ubiquity of these harmful devices and that tolerance is a massive barrier to children’s progress in learning, sports and socialising. The damage being done is huge – and potentially irreversible. British schools are categorically neglecting their responsibility to educate and protect.

Of course, parents have a big role to play in their children’s online habits, but what kids do at home is a separate issue - we entrust our schools to educate and protect our children. Futures are being compromised by unsupervised internet access. Even the strictest parents’ children are impacted when their peers have smartphones at school.

It’s obvious that children shouldn’t have them at a place of learning and development - where their character is partly formed. Schools don’t allow alcohol or cannabis, so why are they relaxed about daytime social media use and students openly browsing adult content?

Many parents can claim some ignorance of the damage these devices do. But teachers and schools certainly can’t cite ignorance as a defence for their role in the harm that’s happening.

Categorically, educators are aware that reams of scientific research fully backs a ban on smartphones. The evidence is genuinely overwhelming.

British Think Tank, Policy Exchange, recently undertook a major piece of work and wholeheartedly concluded that there is an urgent need to ban smartphones in schools. They highlighted how bans are linked to higher grades and better Ofsted ratings. They also identified social benefits, including improved focus and reduced bullying - this aligns with global evidence that smartphone bans create healthier learning environments.

The evidence is clear and assertive educators around the world are taking action and seeing positive results.

Years ago France dictated that smartphones be switched off during schooltime and successful trials in 2024 mean they’re likely to instruct a total ban in all schools this year. Similar action is being taken globally, and the likes of New South Wales, Australia, and Los Angeles are reporting fantastic results from their smartphone ban in schools: reduced distractions and improved focus. Importantly, students are happier and socialise more.

British schools seem fearful of acting on this issue. They keep quiet about the harm being done to their students every day. Their hesitation isn’t just weak, it’s professionally negligent: a disservice to the children they’re supposed to nurture and protect.

Our schools look prepared to delay taking action on this until they feel pressure - until it’s clear that society demands change or their peers are doing it first, making them appear to be behind the curve.

So it’s essentially that millions of parents make a fuss and demand change from schools and politicians. I pray that hordes of other parents join me in writing to their Head Teachers, making it clear that school is the very last place that smartphones should proliferate.

If any head teacher is reading this: please be brave and ban the phones. Set the tone and lead the way - our children’s futures depend on it.

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Andy Preston is the founder of homelessness charity CEO Sleepout, a prominent Tory donor, and a political commentator who served as Mayor of Middlesborough from 2019 to 2023.

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