Submitted on Monday 24th November 2025
Rejected on Tuesday 6th January 2026
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: no-action (see below for details)
Oppose proposed statutory requirement that schools store or pouch smartphones
The Government should commit to not mandate nationwide phone storage systems in schools. The high profile movement to make this statutory should face proper scrutiny, in terms of costings, for example, and, instead, the far better alternative of banning smartphones from school premises be considered
Smartphones are not safe for children and are causing immense harm. Storing them is an option to better protect children during the school day. However, pouching smartphones:
Normalises children owning smartphones
Encourages parents of Year 6 to buy their child a smartphone
Is very expensive (see Ireland)
Promotes belief that schools cannot manage this themselves
Makes complex what is actually straightforward
Locks schools into contracts with 3rd parties that they will find difficult to leave
You can't sign this petition because it was rejected. But you can still comment on it here at Repetition.me!
The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:
There are currently no reported Government plans to introduce statutory requirements for schools to store or 'pouch' phones. The current non-statutory guidance says that schools may develop their own policies to implement a no phones in schools rule. The guidance suggests the following systems that could be adopted:
No mobile phones allowed on the school premises
Mobile phones handed in on arrival
Mobile phones kept in secure location, which pupils do not access throughout the school day
Pupils may keep their phones but they are “never used, seen or heard
You can find out more in this House of Commons Library note: commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10241/
We could accept a petition calling for the Government to ban schools from storing mobile phones, if that's something that you'd like to see.
216.73.217.50 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:47:36 +0100
