A major US study has found that strict bans on mobile phones in schools have 'close to zero' impact on student learning, with no evidence of improvements in attendance or reductions in online bullying. Researchers from Stanford and Duke universities analysed nearly 1,800 US schools where phones were kept in locked pouches, comparing outcomes with similar schools without bans.
The study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, concluded that 'average effects on test scores are consistently close to zero'. However, lead author Professor Thomas Dee of Stanford cautioned against abandoning phone bans, saying it would be a 'major mistake' to walk away from the reform. He noted that bans did reduce phone usage and that longer-term effects appeared more positive.
While the study found a substantial fall in phone activity by the third year of a ban, this did not translate into measurable improvements in attainment, attendance, classroom attention, or perceived online bullying. There were modest positive effects on maths scores for older students but negative effects for younger pupils. The first year of a ban saw a rise in suspensions and a dip in wellbeing, but these effects faded over time.
The findings come as the UK government plans to legislate to make phone restrictions a statutory requirement in England's state schools. The Girls' Day School Trust has announced a ban from September, citing harm to girls. Meanwhile, England's exam regulator Ofqual has warned students not to take phones into exam halls after over 500 candidates were disqualified last year.
