Mother of Murdered Teen Launches Campaign for Statutory Phone Ban in UK Schools

Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, has launched a campaign calling for a statutory ban on mobile phones in schools, arguing that such a ban would have greatly benefited her daughter by helping her focus on education and reduce trouble linked to phone use. Brianna’s former school, Birchwood Community High in Warrington, uses phone-locking pouches during the school day, a system Ms. Ghey says has been successful and is seeking government funding to expand. During Brianna’s three years at Birchwood, numerous safeguarding and behavior logs were related to her phone use, highlighting risks such as child sexual exploitation and exposure to harmful online content encouraging self-harm and eating disorders. Ms. Ghey has written an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, supported by public figures including actress Kate Winslet and actor Stephen Graham, urging a legal prohibition on pupil phone access during school hours unless exempted for medical or accessibility reasons. She emphasizes the need for government support for schools, parents, and children to address this complex issue collectively. The campaign seeks to move beyond the previous non-statutory guidance issued under the former Conservative government, aiming for enforceable school-wide restrictions on mobile phone use.