May 22nd 2024.
A group of headteachers from various primary schools in St Albans have come together to address a pressing issue that has been circulating in the city. The concern at hand is whether or not children under the age of 14 should have access to smartphones. In fact, this particular city has the potential to become the first in the entire UK to enforce a ban on smartphones for children under the age of 14.
The headteachers, who are part of the St Albans Primary Schools Consortium, have collectively written a letter addressed to all parents and carers in the city. They are strongly urging them to reconsider purchasing smartphones for their children until they reach the age of 14. This joint letter has already been signed by 20 out of the 24 primary school headteachers in St Albans, which shows the seriousness of the matter.
Although most schools already have a strict no-phone policy in place, the headteachers felt the need to take it a step further and influence the overall culture of the city. The letter states that they strongly encourage parents to opt for a basic text and call phone for their children, if necessary, instead of a smartphone. Furthermore, the headteachers have also made a commitment to promote their schools as being smartphone-free. They believe that by coming together and working towards this goal, they can join the growing movement happening across the country to change the "normal" age at which children are given smartphones.
In addition to this, the letter also mentions that the headteachers are supporting the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, a grassroots movement that aims to keep childhoods free from the influence of smartphones. One of the main concerns that has prompted this campaign is the impact smartphones can have on children's mental health. Justine Elbourne-Cload, the executive head of Cunningham Hill Schools, shared her worries about children joining WhatsApp groups where they are exposed to inappropriate material. She also highlighted other issues such as young children using social media unsupervised and the constant intrusion of devices, which can have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Ms Elbourne-Cload hopes that in a few years, it will become a shock to see a child under the age of 11 with a smartphone in their hand. She strongly believes that if the norm becomes not having a smartphone at a young age, children will be content with using basic phones like the old Nokia bricks. However, this proposed policy has faced some criticism, especially from secondary school students who rely on smartphone apps for their homework and have to use buses that only accept tickets via an app.
The government has also taken notice of this issue and earlier this year, they released new guidelines to address smartphone use in schools. Education secretary Gillian Keegan presented various options for schools to enforce a ban, such as leaving devices at home, collecting them from students, or keeping them out of sight in bags.
In the midst of all this, Esther Ghey, a 37-year-old mother, has been advocating for stricter restrictions on phone use among teenagers. Her daughter, Brianna Ghey, was tragically murdered by two teenagers who plotted her death through WhatsApp and Snapchat. One of the murderers even used a special browser to access real-life torture and murder on the dark web. These heartbreaking incidents serve as a wake-up call for parents and authorities to take action and protect the well-being of children in a world where technology is constantly advancing.
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