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Qabil Ashirov

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England is set to introduce stricter rules governing mobile phone use in schools, with pupils no longer allowed to keep their phones in their bags or pockets during the school day.

According to the BBC, the government's new guidance will take effect in September 2027.

Under mandatory rules that came into force in June this year, schools and organisations responsible for managing educational institutions are legally required to prevent pupils from using mobile phones during the school day.

However, some schools currently allow students to keep their phones in their bags, provided they do not use them. The new guidance will tighten these restrictions by requiring schools to ensure that pupils have no access to their devices throughout the school day.

The government says access to mobile phones can distract students from lessons and negatively affect their face-to-face interactions with classmates.

Schools will be allowed to determine how they implement the new requirements. Some may introduce locked pouches or secure storage lockers, while others could collect phones from pupils at the beginning of the school day. Certain schools may go further by banning students from bringing mobile phones onto school premises altogether.

However, unions representing school leaders have warned that implementing stricter restrictions could prove challenging without additional government funding.