The Education Minister has pledged to address the risks of excessive screen time and online harms facing children – but stopped short of supporting a blanket mobile phone ban in schools recommended by Public Health.
Speaking at a Scrutiny Panel hearing this morning, Deputy Rob Ward said that most schools already have phone restrictions in place and that a meaningful solution requires more than a top-down solution.
“Tomorrow, I could say I’m going to announce a ban, and it would be a lovely headline, but meaningless,” he said.
“The reason that’s meaningless is because it does not solve the problem.”
It comes after Jersey’s Public Health department called for a ban on mobile phones in schools for islanders up to the age of 15 to address the growing health risks linked to screen time.
Calls for phone ban in schools
Public Health warned that “a coordinated, whole-society approach” is needed to protect young people from the mounting physical, mental and developmental harms associated with excessive tech use.
The department recommended that Government should “develop a policy across schools to prevent or minimise use during the school day, especially for younger pupils” – suggesting that France’s national ban on mobile phones in schools up to age 15 “offers a potential model Jersey could adopt or adapt”.
The recommendation formed part of a submission to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel’s review into how Jersey protects children from online harms.
The review is examining Government efforts and the role of legislation, education, family and culture in keeping young people safe online.
In previous submissions, the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner warned that Jersey is facing a “public health emergency” as increasing numbers of young islanders are exposed to harmful online content, and Jersey’s children’s rights watchdog called for the island to introduce stricter laws to hold online platforms accountable for child safety.
A “public health concern”
Public Health’s reports highlighted findings from the most recent Children and Young People’s Survey, which showed that 39% of students had spent more than five hours on screens the previous day.
Only 22% of youngsters met recommended daily physical activity guidelines – falling to just 8% among older girls – and just under half of respondents slept eight hours the night before.
The department also pointed to “potential links between screen use and emotional wellbeing in Jersey”, with older students reporting elevated levels of anxiety.
Citing international research, Public Health outlined risks including sleep disruption, obesity, myopia, and cognitive impacts, along with exposure to cyberbullying and inappropriate content.
“Problematic screen use, marked by difficulty disengaging, withdrawal symptoms, and behavioural disruption, is increasingly recognised as a public health concern,” the submission said.
Calls for a “whole-society” approach
The department’s recommendations also included introducing “clear local guidance in line with WHO and other international recommendations”, strengthening digital literacy education, expanding parental support, and launching public awareness campaigns to “help shift social norms and support families and schools”.
“Fully addressing this issue will require a coordinated, whole-society approach, including clear legislation, sustained investment in prevention, and the meaningful involvement of children, families, and schools,” the submission added.
While acknowledging existing initiatives such as digital literacy work in schools and campaigns, Public Health stressed that stronger measures are needed to prevent long-term harm.
The Department also called for the launch of “targeted campaigns that promote balanced screen use, digital wellbeing, sleep hygiene, and outdoor play, helping to shift social norms and support families and schools.”
“The case for a coordinated, cross-sector response is clear,” it concluded.
“Our schools need a bit of credit”
The Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel quizzed the Education Minister on this topic this morning.
Deputy Ward said: “Our schools need a bit of credit in what they’ve done over the last three years, because they have tried to turn back the tide of the mobile phone use and school after school by working with their staff and their students come up with a policy, which is to say, ‘We will not have phones in schools, and we will change the culture’.”
Speaking about the need to raise awareness and understanding, he said: “I think this is an area where a public campaign, not just from schools, but from Home Affairs, from [the] Economy Department… is one of the key things,” Deputy Ward told the panel.
“With our online systems [within schools] that we can control, we have good filters and systems where we can intervene…it’s the areas we can’t control outside school [that are of more concern], and this is where an education piece with parents working together with schools would be really important.”
He added: “We can’t do everything in schools. Parents can’t do everything on their own. Young people can’t do everything on their own.”
Addressing screen use at home
Panel Chair Deputy Catherine Curtis asked the Minister how the Education Department and schools take Public Health advice into account, listing the health risks noted in the submission.
Deputy Ward responded: “In the school day, that is something that is a lot easier to monitor and control.”
But he said the wider issue of screen use at home also needed to be addressed.
“A public awareness campaign is a useful thing to do, and we would certainly support that,” he added.
The panel also heard that schools are using filtering software to block harmful content, and that digital safety is also taught through PSHE lessons.
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