Mobile Phone Ban in Schools to Begin This September
- markdarrenwilkinso
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Jersey to Enforce Mobile Phone Ban in Schools from September
From the start of the new academic year in September, students in Jersey schools and colleges will no longer be allowed to use mobile phones during the school day — including at break and lunchtime.
The announcement was made in a letter sent to parents by Deputy Rob Ward, Jersey’s Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning. The restriction will apply to all students up to the end of Key Stage 4 and is part of a broader strategy aimed at promoting online safety and reducing distractions in learning environments.
Deputy Ward urged parents to reconsider providing smartphones to their children, noting: “We need to work as a community to educate our young people as to the importance of being safe online.”
The new policy outlines that any student who attempts to evade the rules to use a phone during the school day will face consequences in line with existing school behaviour policies. In cases where inappropriate content or websites are accessed, Deputy Ward said schools would not hesitate to involve law enforcement if the matter was deemed serious.
While students' devices may still connect to the school network, all access will be filtered through safeguarding software to ensure appropriate use.
Parents were also issued a series of guidelines, including:
Monitoring and managing smartphone use at home.
Reminding children that if they bring a phone to school, it should remain switched off and out of sight during the day.
Supporting schools in enforcing the policy by allowing staff to confiscate devices found in use during school hours.
Deputy Ward acknowledged the complexity of issues surrounding children’s use of technology: “There is not one answer to solve all of the complications that arise from it,” he said.
To support families in navigating these challenges, the Government of Jersey will host island-wide events on digital life and online safety beginning the week of 15 September. Additional sessions specifically for parents and guardians will take place on 16 and 17 September, available both in person and via livestream.
