‘I feel guilty for not buying one for my daughter for school’

A mother has said her 11-year-old daughter came home from school in tears because she didn’t have a smartphone to use in class.

Celeste Lewis said she felt guilty after her daughter Ava’s school, Whitchurch High in Cardiff, encouraged students to use their phones during lessons to do things like look up locations on Google Earth.

Unlike England, there is no guidance in Wales advising schools to ban mobile phones in classrooms, with the Welsh Government saying they can be “used effectively to support learning”.

The school said it had an ‘acceptable use’ policy for phones, which was regularly reviewed, pupils were educated about it and issues were discussed through staff and student groups.

Ms Lewis said she started to feel “pressure” from parents to buy smartphones when her daughter left primary school, but decided not to fear the impact this could have on Ava’s mental health.

“In year 6 I would say every child in her class had a smartphone except her,” the charity worker said.

“It was so ingrained, it was like ‘buy a school uniform, buy some shoes, buy a smartphone’.”

She said she “naturally assumed” that smartphones would not be used in class, but Ava came home crying “within the first week or two” of starting at Whitchurch High School because she didn’t have one to use in class to use.

Mrs Lewis said the school had been ‘really helpful and kind’ and offered Ava a laptop to help her with lessons.

However, she said she still felt caught between a “rock and a hard place”.

“I feel guilty now as a parent,” she said.

“We said, ‘If we give you an old-fashioned Nokia, you can call your friends and send them a message.’

“There are still downsides to that phone. She doesn’t get the emojis her friends send. There are messages, there are phone calls, and there is Snake.”

Whitchurch High said each school had its own policy on phones and electrical equipment, and had developed an ‘acceptable use’ policy.

“We regularly review our policies and inform students of acceptable and appropriate use,” a school spokesperson said.

“Our main tool for this is our relationships, wellbeing and health lessons, supported by other relevant curriculum areas and our behavior and performance policies.

“We regularly review all our policies and discuss issues through our staff and student improvement groups to support decision-making and improvement priorities. Our governing body is also involved in discussions on important issues and examines our policies before they are adopted.”

Ofcom figures suggested 97% of children have a mobile phone by the age of 12.

But groups such as Smart Phone Free Childhood, of which Ms Lewis is a member, are campaigning for parents to reconsider the age at which they let their children have phones.

Both England and Scotland issued guidance earlier this year to help schools ban smartphones.

But schools in Wales are being encouraged to make their own choice, meaning some neighboring schools may have different policies.

A school in Conwy County recently introduced a system where students lock their phones in a special bag for the day.

And Cardiff West Community High School, just four miles from Ava’s school, has banned phones for students, staff and visitors during the day.

“When they get there, the phones are gone. They’re not being heard, they’re not being used,” said Mike Tate, the school’s principal.

He said he believed the ban had been a “driving force” in improved behavior with a “75% reduction” in fighting at school, as well as a drop in exclusions, especially in relation to defiance.

“What we are also seeing is greater engagement in lessons, an increase in school attendance and punctuality to lessons has increased,” Mr Tate added.

He also said absenteeism among staff had improved dramatically, which he attributed to improved student behavior in the classroom.

To implement the changes, the school, which serves the Ely community, has partially returned to paper after years of publishing updates and class schedules online.

Starting in September, students returned to traditional paper organizers, and staff say many brought school bags for the first time in years.

“We see many students actually talking to each other in social situations, and even playing cards at lunch, instead of on their phones,” says Mr Tate.

The school said around 10 others in South Wales had contacted it since the ban was introduced, asking for advice on how this could be done.

But opinions were divided among parents.

Gwenda, a mother of three, said all her children were given smartphones when they entered high school so she could stay in touch and they had more freedom.

“There is good and bad that comes with them,” she said.

“That’s the way the world is today: they need access. They need to feel included in groups of friends.

“They learn a lot from mobile phones: they learn a lot bad, but they also learn a lot good.”

Bethan, also a mother of three, said she believed smartphones should be banned for under-16s, but she also worried her children would be left out.

She said her 15-year-old son missed his first movie invitation because she didn’t give him access to the messaging apps other children were using.

“I would like the government to do something about it and take it out of the parents’ hands,” she said.

The Welsh Government said it recognized the impact mobile phones can have on “the health and wellbeing of children and young people” and said “almost all” schools in Wales had policies banning their use in lessons.

“Mobile phones can be used effectively to support learning, and it is important that children and young people are taught about online safety, including the use of social media.

“The Education Secretary will work with schools to ensure they have policies that reduce the impact of mobile phones on wellbeing and promote learning.”

Additional reporting by Nia Price and Matthew Bassett