No complaints on mobile phone ban – Gordonstoun head

GORDONSTOUN has repeated its call for other schools to follow its lead by introducing a ban on mobile phones during the school day.

Lisa Kerr, principal at the private school, spoke out in late December on the "negative effects of mobile phones". Ms Kerr’s latest comments are in response to those of the president of the Girls’ School Association, Jane Prescott, who said mobile phones were being "demonised".

Gordonstoun introduced its mobile phone ban back in 2017 – and says there have been no complaints from parents.

Ms Kerr said: "One of the immediate effects of our ban on mobile phones was an increase in noise levels, which we see as a good thing. Children are holding conversations, sharing jokes, and catching up with each other face-to-face, not via social media. They are developing great social skills.

"Schools need to help children achieve more than great exam results. They need to have the ability to interact with each other, to be confident in themselves, develop meaningful friendships and able to strike up a conversation with someone they don’t know."

Ms Kerr added: "This is an important issue so I am delighted it is getting more attention, and I am pleased that TV presenter Davina McCall seems to agree with our policy. We’d be delighted to invite her to come and visit us to see our mobile phone ban in operation and to discuss how we might facilitate wider discussion around this topic.

"Technology has an important role to play in the classroom – but it has to be controlled. Teenage brains aren’t sufficiently developed to exercise the necessary self-control so the adults in their lives need to set boundaries.

"Some of our parents make considerable sacrifices to send their children here because they are worried about the negative effect of mobile phones. They know that, in our school, that pressure has been removed and their child will be having real, not virtual, adventures.

"It is time for all schools to help pupils develop their full potential through the simple step of a mobile phone ban."

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