Mobile phones could be banned from all schools across the island from September under a new policy.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) is developing the new policy which will mean mobile phones belonging students will have to be locked away during school hours.

The move comes after St Ninian's will introduce the new measures from September.

In a letter written to parents of both the lower Bemahague school and St Ninian's upper school headteacher Chris Coole said students would now have to turn phones off and put them away before entering the school building.

He explained the move followed feedback from parents, staff and education professionals.

Now DESC wants to extend that policy to all schools which will help ‘address adverse challenges’ around the devices.

A spokesperson for DESC said: ‘The Department is currently developing a policy on mobile phone use in schools. Once finalised, this policy will be communicated to parents, carers, and students and made available to the public.

‘The core principle of the policy is that mobile phones must be turned off and stored away while students are in school. This policy aims to address various challenges posed by mobile phone use, including lesson disruptions, bullying, device damage, and inappropriate use.

‘There will be exceptions for specific circumstances, such as medical needs. Parents wishing to contact their children during the school day should do so by contacting the school office.’

Education Minister Daphne Caine told Manx Radio why she feels this is the right policy to introduce to all school on the island.

She said: ‘We are finishing the policy after which we will be consulting with schools. But schools have the autonomy to introduce the policies that are right for their individual locations.

‘Parents who need to contact the student would be able to do so through the school office and, likewise, the student can contact parents through the school office.’

Mrs Caine says the policy is also working well in other schools who have introduced their own rules around mobile phone use.

She said: ‘Having visited QEII it is already a policy there and one of the teachers remarked to me that it was instantly noticeable when the ban on mobile phones in school came in the level of conversation over the lunchbreak was different. It was louder with people talking to each other.

‘Mobile phone use leads to lesson disruptions, bullying, damage to devices and inappropriate use. So I think, in some ways, it would be helpful for the island to have a blanket, overarching policy from the centre and for some consistency on how that is applied.

‘I would very much hope this policy could be implemented in the September (2024) term but possibly not from the very start of the school year.’