Liberal Democrat Group Motion

This Council supports calls for the immediate implementation of a ban on the use of smartphones in all primary and secondary schools for children up to the age of 16 years within Oxford, with exceptions to be addressed here. 

MP Josh MacAlister’s Safer Phones Bill¹ has been watered down^[1] to exclude the ban on smartphones in schools. He reports, “It’s time to address the negative effects of excessive screen time and social media use on children’s health, sleep and learning. Parents are crying out for legislation to support them in keeping their children safe from online harm. Gen Z themselves regret how long they spend on social media. In January, Norway has chosen to raise the digital age of consent. At the beginning of this month, Denmark has implemented measures around schools and afterschool clubs”. 

Gillian McDermott Head of Cutteslowe Primary School points to Jonathan Haidt’sThe Anxious Generation,^[2] showing overwhelmingly the harm done to children through excessive use of smartphones. He examined what happened to young people in the early 2010s that triggered the surge of anxiety and depression, social isolation and cyber-bullying and academic disengagement from 2012 which in some cases have contributed to self harm and death since then.  

The LibDem MP Max Wilkinson^[3] says regulations are far behind reality and technology. Barnardos^[4] say that the average teenager is spending up to five hours a day on social media. Ofcom research^[5] found that 71% of children aged between 5 and 15 used a smartphone to get online in 2023. 75% of parents had concerns related to content inappropriate for their children’s age. 73% was adult or sexual content.  

In schools such as Michaela^[6] in London the general conduct of the children is excellent and the high academic levels are some of the best in the country. “School is key”, says its Head Teacher Katherine Birbalsingh^[7] “the one sure way of children being able to change their stars”.  

Eric Schmit^[8] the ex-boss of Google and Alphabet emphasised the use of smartphones can be safe but need to be moderated. “Why,” he asks, “would we run such a large uncontrolled experiment on the most important people in the world, which is the next generation?” 

Smartphones should be permitted for certain academic activities or research, and students with specific learning needs may be permitted to use smartphones as a support tool. 

This Council: 

1. Regrets that Josh McAlister’s Bill has been watered down. 

2. Notes that Secretaries of State for Education have favoured mandatory limits on mobile phone use in schools over the last fifteen years. 

3. Notes that Baroness Kidron in a debate in November 2024 drew attention to "increasing interest in mandating that schools be mobile phone free”. 

4. Asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Education urging support for the original intentions of the McAlister Bill. 

5. Whilst noting that we are not the Local Education Authority, offers its support and encouragement to schools in Oxford to continue to develop holistic policies on phone use in school, up to and including a complete ban”.