Half of oldsters apprehensive about affect of faculty display time on youngsters’s well being, ballot exhibits
Some 47% of mums and dads are concerned classroom devices could harm their children’s eyesight and posture, according to research by the campaign group SafeScreens
More than a third of parents are worried about the impact on their kids’ sleep, polling shows(Image: Getty Images)
Nearly half of parents are worried about the impact of screen time in schools on their children’s health, polling shows.
Some 47% of mums and dads are concerned classroom devices could harm their kids’ eyesight and posture, according to research by the campaign group SafeScreens. More than a third (36%) are worried about the impact on their kids’ sleep, the study showed.
It comes after more than 150 clinicians, including GPs, paediatricians and speech and language therapists wrote to Education Secretary Lucy Powell and the Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warning of a “crisis” in children’s physical and developmental health linked to screen-based learning.
They raised concerns about a lack of evidence over the safety and educational value of tech being used in schools. Fears have also been raised over plans to roll out AI powered tutoring tools from next year for up to 450,000 children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s estimated that UK schools spend around £900million a year on educational technology, with this figure expected to increase.
Screen time guidance for children over five is currently being drawn up by the Department for Education and is due to be released before Christmas. The government said it will avoid introducing blanket rules as it is clear that technology is now part of childhood and can bring real benefits when used well, from learning and creativity to connection and support for children with SEND.
Ministers last week also unveiled plans to crackdown on mobile phone usage in schools amid just 16% of secondary pupils saying phone rules are followed all of the time.
Under the plans, students could be forced to lock their mobile phones in pouches or lockers or hand them over to teachers during the school day under plans to make classrooms distraction-free. Under strengthened rules published on Tuesday, teachers will be told they must ensure students cannot access their phones at all – with no exceptions.
Ministers have also launched a consultation on the use of technology in the classroom, including exploring independent safety certification for products carrying out high-risk processing of children’s data and student-facing generative AI.
Jane Rowland, co-founder of SafeScreens, said: “Last month more than 150 doctors, eye specialists and speech therapists told ministers that screen-based learning is harming children’s health. Today parents are telling us the same thing.
“Nearly half are worried about what hours of screen time at school are doing to their children’s eyes and posture. Many are also worried about their sleep and their friendships. “More than one in four say these devices have already caused safeguarding problems at their child’s school. That should be a wake-up call for ministers. We would rightly never allow a medicine, a food product or a toy into a classroom unless it met minimum safety standards.
“Yet schools are spending hundreds of millions of pounds a year on devices and commercial software products that children use every day and that have never been independently assessed for their educational effectiveness or their impact on children’s health. That has to change.’
A Government spokeswoman said: “Used well, technology can improve learning, support children and free teachers to teach. But safety comes first. We’re working with teachers, leaders and parents to ensure technology is used safely and effectively as the evidence develops.
“That’s why we’re consulting on EdTech certification, strengthening school mobile phone guidance and developing the first-ever screen use guidance for parents of 5–18-year-olds, alongside our ban on social media for under-16s.”
::: FocalData surveyed 2,089 parents of children in primary and secondary schools across the UK in March.
