Commenting on plans to instruct headteachers to establish an effective ban of mobile phones in schools, both during lesson times and in breaks, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The Government's consultation exercise earlier this year concluded that most schools already have policies in place to deal with the problems of mobile phone use. We hope that Gillian Keegan will use her Conference speech to announce positive measures that face up to the deep challenges in our schools, rather than distracting attention from them. The education secretary must acknowledge and address the challenge of teacher recruitment and retention, persistent real-terms funding cuts, the lack of mental health support both within and outside of school, and the rising levels of child poverty. These are the issues school leaders are currently most concerned about and that will make a difference when helping students make positive choices and develop good learning habits."