I’ve been campaigning for some time to get smartphones out of schools and children off social media, and I know that very many of my constituents in Brentwood and Ongar support me in this work.
After over a year of the government repeatedly dismissing my party’s plans to get smartphones out of schools as an unnecessary gimmick, they have finally listened and u-turned. New laws will now ban phones in classrooms across England. This is thanks to the tireless pressure put upon the Government by me and my colleagues and by health professionals, and teachers. Labour has now finally accepted what teachers, parents, pupils and Conservatives have been saying all along - they need clear legal backing to keep smartphones out of schools.
This is the right step for behaviour, wellbeing and attainment. It will allow pupils to focus on learning and give teachers the backing they need and have been calling for.
Important questions do still remain, and in particular ministers have failed to provide assurances that new laws will not allow a “not seen, not heard” approach. We know this doesn't work, children remain distracted with their phones going off in their pockets or bags, or they are going to the loo during lessons to check messages. We need a proper ban so children can focus on learning and distractions are removed during the school day. If that clarity is not provided, Conservatives will continue to press the issue and table further amendments in the House of Lords to ensure phones are properly taken out of classrooms.
But we are not stopping here.
Outside the school gates, many children are still exposed to harmful and extreme content online, and parents are rightly concerned and are asking for stronger protections. That is why Kemi and the Conservatives are still calling on the government to raise the minimum age for social media to 16.
Earlier this month the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill returned to the House of Commons, following the decision from the House of Lords on Monday to once again backed a ban on social media for under-16s by a significant and growing margin. But sadly, Labour MPs voted against it for a third time.
The only people blocking this change are the Prime Minister and his party. Parents will rightly be confused and let down that once again Labour’s actions do not match their rhetoric. All we are asking them to do, is what the PM says he wants to do - protect children online. Further delay is not acceptable.
Our campaign is working — but now is not the time for half measures. We will keep pushing until we have strong, effective protections in place. Our children deserve nothing less.
