Can tech giants be tackled over phones in classrooms?

Bad news for concerned parents and harassed school teachers.

- SEAN O'GRADY

A private member’s bill that would ban smartphones in schools has been watered down yet again in the hope of gaining some modicum of government support and, thus, the chance to actually become law.

But Labour MP Josh MacAlister still has some hope that progress towards his ultimate goal can still be achieved…

What would the bill do?

The Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill is aimed at ridding schools of distracting hand-held devices in order to boost concentration in the classroom, promoting learning, and raising academic achievement (and thus, eventually, improving the human capital of the nation). As a bonus, the bill also calls for an end to addictive algorithms within apps and for a raised “digital age of consent” from 13 to 16. That might also lessen, though not eradicate, cyberbullying (the subject of much public concern since the murder of teenager Brianna Ghey).

Who is backing it?