Josh MacAlister, a new Labour MP, is urging the government to enact legislation that will “empower” parents and educators to limit children’s screen time and make social media and cellphones less appealing.
The cross-party MPs, education unions, charities, and previous and current children’s commissioners have all endorsed the former teacher’s Safer Phones Bill, which he tabled on Tuesday.
Legally prohibiting smartphones in schools is one of the main principles, but according to Sir Keir’s spokesperson, the government has “no plans to legislate” that as head teachers already have the authority to forbid phones in classrooms, even though they have it.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting independently expressed some support for the idea by stating that “this is a really timely debate,” despite Sir Keir’s spokesperson stating that the bill “won’t go ahead.”
“This is a persuasion campaign,” Mr. MacAlister told News, expressing that he is not upset.
The existing non-statutory guidelines, implemented earlier this year by the former Tory government, aim to discourage cell phone use in English schools. It would become legally required under the measure.
