Josh MacAlister

Josh MacAlister

Labour — Whitehaven and Workington

Speaking in the House of Commons on 10 November 2026

Debate

Mobile Phones in Schools

Contribution

I thank the teachers and the headteacher at King Edward VI high school. I will also share a reflection that many Members of the House will have had from school visits, which is that children who may have gone into the process thinking that they would miss accessing their smartphones in break time—or sometimes in lessons, when they should not be on them—often described the freedom that comes from focusing that big chunk of the day on in-person interaction and learning. As I have said, just under 40%—39%—of secondary schools already have a full effective ban in place in line with what we are proposing. We will, of course, engage with school leaders in the coming months to ensure that our proposal is designed in such a way that it will be implemented effectively.

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