School phone pouch plan criticised by Naomi Long

A plan to buy pouches to prevent mobile phones being used in schools has been criticised by Justice Minister Naomi Long.

Mrs Long's ministerial colleague Education Minister Paul Givan has offered to fund a pilot scheme in which magnetic pouches would be used to prevent pupils using their smartphones in school.

The Democratic Unionist Party politician told the Belfast Telegraph his department had set aside £250,000 to pay for the pouch pilot scheme.

Alliance Party leader Mrs Long questioned the cost and said "each mobile comes with an off switch which is absolutely free".

Magnetic pouches work by locking the phone inside a fabric pocket which only a teacher would be able to unlock.

The idea was announced by the education minister as he issued wider guidance to schools advising them to restrict students' access to mobiles during the school day.

"There is evidence that shows even if your mobile phone is in your schoolbag, or in your blazer, it can still be distracting," Mr Givan said last week.

"Therefore having no access to it actually can help to make sure you don't have any form of distraction in place, so I want to test that out, I want to gather the evidence."

Mr Givan said he was going to invite 10 schools to take part in the pilot programme over the next number of weeks.

"I will fund the purchase of the pouches, and that would take this implementation to a level where were not constantly worrying about the enforcement because they're magnetically sealed," he explained.

The minister said when the pilot programme ends he will assess the evidence to check if it has been beneficial for schools and students.

Mrs Long took to social media to say she disapproved of the pouch proposal.

"At a time when resources are so stretched in the public sector, this expenditure is hard to fathom," she wrote on X.

"Not only do most schools already have policies in place to deal with this issue but each mobile comes with an off switch which is absolutely free."

In his statement announcing his plans last week, Mr Givan argued that changing the rules on phones in schools could "make the world of difference in our classrooms".

"Restricting their use during the school day allows children to better concentrate, engage and learn, as well as enjoying ‘phone-free’ break and lunchtimes so they can play, have fun, participate in sports and socialise with their friends.”

The idea is not unique to Northern Ireland.

In 2020, 15 UK schools began trialling the lockable mobile phone pouches, including Manshead Academy in Bedfordshire.

By September 2021, the academy's headteacher Andrew McBurnie said the initiative had made his school a "nicer place".

"It's more friendly, there's better communication," he said.

The rules meant even his teaching staff were not allowed to have their phones on show during school hours.

Speaking at the time, Mr McBurnie said since the pouches had been introduced, reports of cyberbullying had fallen by 72%, and there had been fewer arguments over online issues.

BBC News NI has asked Stormont's Department of Education for a response to Ms Long's comments.