The use of mobile phones in secondary schools across Ireland varies from door to door, from teacher to teacher. With many schools already having a strict no phone policy in place, the post-primary ban on phone use during school isn’t exactly a surprise. However, scepticism as to how effective it will be, or how it can possibly be enforced, raise questions as to whether or not the ban will serve its purpose, or will be a rule in name alone.
With mixed results from international precedents, we can only predict how the new act will unfold.
An unsurprising decision
The battle between mobile phones and schools came to international attention when a number of schools in Wicklow announced the launch of a voluntary ‘no smartphone’ rule for primary school children – more specifically for those under 12.
Such a move was echoed in Waterford, with the introduction of a voluntary charter, ‘Gen Free’, in a number of primary schools throughout the county.
In July of 2023, Minister for Education Norma Foley spoke in support of such a ban in primary schools; and with the online domain difficult enough to navigate as an adult, blocking children from dealing with the uncertainty of the internet seems a reasonable move.
A UNESCO report published in July of 2023 warns against the influence of smartphones and technology in the classroom specifically – highlighting that the benefits of mobile phone use are far outweighed by the damage they cause when used in excess, or without guidance.
As a result, UNESCO have recommended that smartphones be banned globally from use in the classroom.
“The report has set the scene for education reform, with the Irish government prepped to take to the stage”
Director of the Report, Manos Antoninis said: “We need to teach children to live both with and without technology; to take what they need from the abundance of information, but to ignore what is not necessary; to let technology support, but never supplant human interactions in teaching and learning.”
The report highlighted the importance of focusing on human interaction in education, rather than supplementing it for technologically based learning; recommending that resources spent on technology should be spent on classrooms, teachers, and textbooks in low and lower-middle-income countries lacking such resources.
The report has set the scene for education reform, with the Irish government prepped to take to the stage.
Such a move to restrict or remove any access to mobile phones in primary schools seems to have set the foundation for an official ban on smartphones in post primary schools – however, the logistics of a ban remain in question.
In March of 2024, a study was conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, and Queensland University of Technology, which tried to gather all evidence on mobile phone bans in schools.
The study screened 1,137 articles, reports, and dissertations on the topic – and identified 22 studies which examined schools before and after phone bans. Further to this, almost half of the studies identified were published or completed since 2020.
Though there likely have been more studies conducted following this, an important point to note when tuning into the discourse around the mobile phone ban is how new any and all research is. With some countries reporting success, others reversing their policies due to them being too strict, the balance of learning and mobile phone use is doomed to be decided through trial and error, for a little while at least.
As reported by the Irish Times, schools have been issued with details on how the ban will operate, in a letter sent by the Minister for Education.
All that may be done to judge such regulations is to wait and see; while throwing our eye to international precedent for how such bans take place.
International precedent and reception
The United Kingdom
Our closest neighbour is a few months ahead of Ireland in terms of regulations for mobile phone use in school.
Following the passing of the Online Safety Act, which is due to come into place in 2026 and largely designed to protect children online, the UK has no intention of halting plans to regulate digital access for children.
“Such ambitious plans seek to address very real issues – however on a practical scale, their success remains to be seen”
New guidance was issued on February 19 to prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day.
When the guidance was issued, it was found that approximately 29% of secondary school pupils reported that mobile phones were used against school rules in most or all lessons; exactly the kind of behaviour the ban seeks to address.
During the summer, MP’s sought to go one step further – urging for the next government, the current Labour government – to consider a total ban on smartphones for those under 16, alongside a statutory ban on mobile phone use in schools.
In a report conducted by the NSPCC, it was found that almost all children owned a phone by the age of 12, and that 79% of them have encountered violent pornography before the age of 18.
Such ambitious plans seek to address very real issues – however on a practical scale, their success remains to be seen.
New York
Though the city of New York was enforcing a mobile phone ban in schools, the regulation was lifted in March of 2015. At the time, the policy affected 1.1 million students, and it was reversed to better enable parents to keep in touch with their children, especially before and after school.
However, an additional problematic angle was cited as a reason for its reversal – the ban was disproportionate due to economic inequity, and was enforced mostly at schools with metal detectors in low-income communities. In addition to this, for students who wished to take electronics to school, they would have to pay a daily charge for private storage, which, according to nyc.gov, could cost a family $180 a year.
The plan was revised, and different angles were taken to monitor mobile phone use in schools – however the example serves as a strict warning as to the dangers of economic inequality when putting such a plan in place.
Canada
Canada, too, is in the process of establishing a mobile phone ban across the country’s schools. Though the bans vary by jurisdiction, each seek to reduce mobile phone use and ensure safer internet access.
Canada’s current process seems to provide a tentative warning as to the dangers of introducing varied and inconsistent practices – however, the results remain to be seen.
However, a separate point provides further scope for consideration – in the districts of Ontario and Manitoba, students will see a tiered system of regulations.
In Ontario, students from K-6 will be required to keep their phones on silent and out of sight during the day, while students in grades 7-12 are banned from using phones during all class time, unless given permission by a teacher.
The use of a tiered system provides the kind of pragmatism that may be necessary for students in the increasingly technological landscape that schools now find themselves in.
Australia
In August of this year, Australia ‘celebrated’ one year since banning mobile phones in public schools. With Australian media reporting resoundingly positive results, the Australian system ought to hold our attention.
As reported by abc.net.au, school reporting data from the state shows a 63% decline in “critical incidents involving social media” in the first half of this year, in comparison to the same period prior to the ban.
Similarly, the government also reports a 54% drop in behavioural issues, and 44% fewer “policy compliance issues”.
Some urge readers not to take the data at face value, with Professor Marilyn Campbell from the Queensland University of Technology’s School Early Childhood and inclusive Education noting the importance of having more concrete evidence, and saying that school mobile phone bans have become a political move.
With an appreciation for the nuance in the results, Australia holds global importance in the shift to mobile phone regulation. The rates of success reported amongst public schools provide a promising precedent for other countries to do the same.
Many nations aside from those mentioned above have a mobile phone ban in place, while more are likely considering it. In order to establish the best practice, it is essential that we keep an eye on what unfolds in schools globally. In doing so, Ireland can try to establish a smooth transition to a smartphone ban; a necessary condition to ensure student’s learning is improved.
