Commenting on non-statutory guidance on mobile phone use in schools, published today, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"As most schools already have policies in place to deal with the problems of mobile phone use, this guidance will make little difference and is a distraction from the many problems facing education.
“What Gillian Keegan should be doing is facing up to the deep challenges in our schools. The education secretary must acknowledge and address the detrimental impact of real-terms funding cuts on children and young people’s education, the lack of mental health support both within and outside of school, the teacher recruitment and retention crisis and the rising levels of child poverty.
“These are the issues school leaders are currently most concerned about and if resolved will make a difference when helping students make positive choices and develop good learning habits."