Joani Reid, MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, has written to the South Lanarkshire’s education committee ahead of it considering official advice which, instead of supporting a ban on smartphones, refuses to take any position on the matter.
Joani Reid’s letter says:
“It is my view that the committee should ask officers to think again.
“When I announced a few months ago that I supported a ban on smartphones in schools, I knew I was speaking with the support of many parents and teachers. What has surprised me is just how many people have subsequently come forward to say they support me in that campaign.
“I know there are small numbers of pupils who have very good reasons to have phones in schools, but there are no reasons I am aware of why they might need a smartphone as opposed to a ‘feature phone’ that would allow them to stay in touch with anyone they need to.
“Smartphones come armed with addictive and distracting social media applications. They are essentially portable computers, not phones, and there is no need to take them to school.
“But is essential that schools acting to keep them off their premises do so with the full support of the local education authorities. That is why the current advice needs to be sent back for further work: it just doesn’t offer the support that is needed to schools and school communities that want to do the right thing.”
