Epsom and Ewell event held to discuss children's smartphone use
Thursday's event, at St Martin's junior school in Epsom, will feature head teachers and safeguarding experts, and is already fully subscribed.The group encourages parents to sign a pact not to give their children a smartphone before the age of 14.It said 150,000 people had signed it so far.Laura Baker, organiser of the Epsom and Ewell group, said: "It's all about strength in numbers."If your child knows that other kids in their class won't be getting a smartphone for a few years either, the peer pressure instantly dissolves."The group has said there should be concessions for children who use mobile apps to monitor conditions such as diabetes.
'Prevent disruption'
A government spokesperson said: "Mobile phones are a distraction from learning and have no place in our classrooms, which is why our clear guidance sets out that school leaders should be restricting their use."Schools already have the power to ban phones, and we support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption," they said. "Even before the guidance was introduced around 97% of schools were restricting mobile phone use, while headteachers also have the ability to implement complete bans, with many choosing to exercise this right."
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