THE issue of phones being a distraction in classrooms has been a topic for some time, but some people want official Government legislation to go further.

Broadcaster Sarah Beeny is calling for all smart devices to be banned from being used in schools, even to help teach, to keep students focused.

Back in February this year the Government issued guidance backing headteachers to prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times, in England.

However, this was under the previous Conservative Government so there is no guarantee this will be upheld by Keir Starmer's current Labour Government, and Beeny would like to see it go further regardless.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain (GMB) today (Monday, July 22) the 52-year-old argued for her perspective.

Speaking to presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley she explained that she felt the tech was "not appropriate" for classroom teaching.

Additionally, she said tablets and mobile phones were not good for "developing minds" due to the "toxic" nature of the internet and how it can affect social skills.

Meanwhile, entrepreneur and school governor Ana Vilhete said she was fine with using smart devices in schools as long as they were used responsibly.

She made the point that access to specific apps and websites were stopped on a school's network as a way to stop children from being distracted.

Should all smart devices be banned in schools?

The debate continued into the GMB comments of an X (formerly Twitter) post where a poll was listed asking for people's opinions on the topic.

Most people seemed to be in agreement with the sentiment, with one writing: "Definitely. A lot of teenagers I interact with have terrible social skills. That’s before you get to the bullying side of mobile phones."

Another posted: "Kids go to school to learn not to play on their phones."

Meanwhile, another shared: "Yes they are a distraction and not used for any benefit."

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Not everyone was in agreement, with one writing: "Literally a world of knowledge at their fingertips. Would be more pragmatic to incorporate it into their lessons."

Some people made the point that these sorts of devices are already banned within classrooms in most schools, so there wouldn't be any need to ban them from school as a whole.

One posted: "When was the last time Sarah Beeny went into a school? They’re already banned in most and have been for years. If kids get them out, they get confiscated."