The government should fund phone lockers in schools to stop children from using them during the day, Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak

Tory MPs last night urged Rishi Sunak to fund the installation of mobile phone lockers in schools to prevent children from using them during the day.

More than 50 MPs and peers have written to the Prime Minister asking him to go further to tackle the ‘disastrous consequences of a phone-based childhood’.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan issued new guidance to schools in February urging head teachers to ban the use of smartphones in schools, including during break periods.

But a study by the Policy Exchange think tank this week found that only one in 10 secondary schools have an ‘effective ban’ that physically prevents children from using their phones.

In their letter today, MPs urge the PM to fund the installation of lockers in all schools and to update guidance for Ofsted

The group warns that the prevalence of smartphones among teenage children ‘has serious implications for learning’ (Stock Image)

These schools either ban them from the premises or insist that phones are shut away in dedicated lockers or pouches for the entire school day.

In their letter today, MPs urge the PM to fund the installation of lockers in all schools and to update guidance for Ofsted to require the watchdog to assess the effectiveness of mobile phone bans in the classroom.

The letter was sent by former minister Neil O’Brien and fellow MP Miriam Cates and signed by 40 Conservative MPs and 19 peers.

Signatories include former home secretary Suella Braverman and former education ministers Tim Loughton, Kelly Tolhurst, Vicky Ford and Jonathan Gullis.

The group warns that the prevalence of smartphones among teenage children ‘has serious implications for learning, as well as for mental health and healthy development of our children’.

They say the ‘constant distraction’ caused by the devices make it ‘impossible for children to concentrate’, while youngsters who spend their breaks ‘glued to their phones’ miss out on ‘important opportunities to play and socialise’.

They write: ‘The disastrous consequences of a phone-based childhood are becoming apparent, not only for educational outcomes but for mental health and preparation for adult life.

‘The Government has a vital role to play in helping to change the culture and as a first step towards this we must truly get smartphones out of our schools.’

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan issued new guidance to schools in February urging head teachers to ban the use of smartphones in schools

Just over half of schools (52 per cent) said they allowed pupils to keep phones in their bags (Stock Image)

This week’s Policy Exchange report found that secondary schools which impose a total ban on smartphones are twice as likely to be rated outstanding.

But it found that only 11 per cent had done so, either by banning them from school grounds or by insisting they are locked away.

Just over half of schools (52 per cent) said they allowed pupils to keep phones in their bags, while 36 per cent said children were allowed to use their phones during breaks.

The call comes as the PM is considering calls for a total ban on smartphones for under-16s. He said last month that infant school children ‘shouldn’t be having access to phones full stop’.

Whitehall sources said the PM was also considering other measures, including tighter age restrictions on social media use and mechanisms to require children to get parental consent before using certain sites.