Reform Wales' education spokesman Stephen Senior has called for a 'clear, consistent ban' on mobile phones in Welsh schools, speaking ahead of a Senedd debate.
Senior argued that mobile phones do not belong in the classroom, citing research on the impact of phones and excessive screen time on children's concentration, behaviour and educational outcomes.
Evidence of disruption and addiction
A House of Commons education committee report found that smartphones and computers can disrupt pupils' learning both at home and in the classroom. It cited evidence that it can take up to 20 minutes for pupils to refocus on their learning after engaging in a non-academic activity, such as browsing the internet or checking a notification.
The same report highlighted research suggesting that children exposed to more than two hours a day of recreational screen time on smartphones and video games had poorer working memory, processing speed, attention levels, language skills and executive function. Screen time can also have a damaging effect on children's sleep patterns.
Studies also show that even when a phone is turned off and put away in a bag, its mere presence reduces available cognitive capacity and lowers information recall because the brain subconsciously monitors it for alerts.
Widespread problem in Wales
The UK Parliament's Education Committee reported a 52% increase in children's screen time between 2020 and 2022. It also highlighted research suggesting that nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way consistent with behavioural addiction.
Research by the Children's Commissioner for Wales found that 62% of primary school children surveyed owned a smartphone, while 23% of those who owned one said they took it to school. In secondary schools, 97% of respondents owned a smartphone and 94% said they took it to school.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that, across its member countries, 65% of 15-year-olds reported being distracted by digital devices in at least some maths lessons. A further 59% said their attention was diverted by other pupils using phones, tablets or laptops.
Call for legislative ban
The OECD also identified an association between digital distraction in the classroom and lower academic performance. Its analysis of PISA results highlighted how the use of digital devices for leisure can undermine learning, including for pupils who are not using the devices themselves.
The latest PISA results show that Welsh pupils continue to lag behind their counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in mathematics, reading and science. Mathematics results have also fallen significantly compared with 2022 PISA results.
Since September 2026, schools in England have been expected to follow statutory guidance establishing mobile-phone-free environments by default throughout the school day.
Senior said Plaid Cymru's current approach of issuing guidance on mobile phone use in schools does not go far enough. During a recent First Minister's Questions, Reform UK's Welsh leader Helen Jenner MS challenged the First Minister to go further and introduce an outright ban.
Reform believes the Plaid Cymru Government should follow the approach adopted in England and introduce a clear, consistent ban on mobile phones throughout the school day, helping to tackle poor behaviour and improve educational outcomes for pupils across Wales.
