IELTS Task 2 sample essay: Banning Phones in Schools

Some schools have responded to concerns about distraction by banning mobile phones altogether. I agree that phones should be kept out of lessons, but I do not believe a complete ban on pupils carrying them is necessary or wise.

The case for removing phones from classrooms is strong. A device that vibrates with messages and notifications competes constantly for a teenager's attention, and even a phone lying face down on a desk can make it harder to concentrate on a difficult task. Lessons that require sustained thinking, such as solving a mathematics problem or drafting an essay, suffer most. Requiring pupils to hand in their phones at the start of each lesson, or to keep them switched off in a locker, protects learning time without much cost.

However, a total ban goes further than the problem requires. Many parents rely on phones to arrange collection after school or to contact their children in an emergency, particularly when pupils travel long distances alone. Moreover, young people will use smartphones for the rest of their lives, and school is one of the few places where they can be taught to manage them responsibly. A ban simply moves their first unsupervised experience of social media and constant notifications to an environment with no guidance at all.

A sensible policy would therefore distinguish between lesson time and the rest of the school day. Phones could be stored during lessons and used only when a teacher asks, while pupils keep them for travel and emergencies.

In conclusion, mobile phones clearly undermine concentration in class and should be put away during lessons. A blanket ban, however, would sacrifice safety and miss an opportunity to teach the self-control that adult life demands.