“This is mega!” exclaimed Daisy Greenwell of the Smartphone Free Childhood Campaign. “We are incredibly thrilled and anticipate a ripple effect.”
Her excitement stemmed from the announcement that St Albans in Hertfordshire is poised to become the first city in the UK to prohibit children under 14 from using smartphones.
St Albans follows in the footsteps of Greystones in Ireland, where parents collectively decided to delay their children’s smartphone usage until middle school. Greenwell foresees similar actions being taken by other communities in the future.
“This will inspire others to take action,” Greenwell remarked. The local WhatsApp group dedicated to this cause has rapidly grown to 100,000 supporters in just a few months. “The overwhelming support we’ve received is truly remarkable.”
More than 30 primary school headteachers in St Albans have jointly penned a letter to families, outlining the ban on smartphones in schools and recommending that children should not have smartphones until at least Year 9 of secondary school. They urge parents to delay
Research by Ofcom shows that 91% of UK children have smartphones by age 11, with 44% owning them by age nine. However, there are increasing concerns about online safety and the impact of social media on children’s mental well-being.
“Smartphones have become ubiquitous in adults’ lives, leading to a significant decline in the age at which children receive their first smartphone,” the principals’ statement read.
“We know that children in Key Stage 1 [ages five to seven] at our school are unlikely to own smartphones. While smartphones are valuable tools for adults, they can expose children to various negative effects.”
The letter encouraged parents to hold off on giving their children smartphones until age 14 and to opt for alternative communication methods when possible.
“As headteachers, we are dedicated to steering our schools towards being smartphone-free. We believe that collectively in St Albans, we can contribute to a national movement to revise the ‘normal’ age at which children receive smartphones.”
The letter was distributed on Monday. By Wednesday lunchtime, Justin Elbourne-Cloroad, executive principal of the Cunningham Hill Federation of Schools and co-chair of the St Albans Primary School Consortium, had already given several media interviews, with more scheduled for Thursday.
In the meantime, parents and educators from Hertfordshire and beyond have been inundated with queries about the Smartphone Free Campaign. “The response from parents has been fantastic,” Greenwell shared. “They are eager for this support.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
