Debate contribution: Schools: Mobile Phone Pouches
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 14 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Schools: Mobile Phone Pouches
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5685629
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The Member raises the side effects and symptoms that come from smartphone technology, which include all the things that I outlined in response to Mrs Erskine. That is why we have to treat the root cause of the problem, not just bring in the support that is needed to address all of the mental health challenges in our schools. Not all of those are attributable to smartphones, as people may need help for many reasons. Smartphone technology is one of the root causes of a range of challenges that we face in school settings. The approach is universally popular across our teaching profession. In the schools that have implemented a much more rigorous approach to smartphones, many pupils have welcomed its introduction because they have been able to see for themselves how it has improved outcomes in their school setting. Investing in that policy and ensuring that it is applied will have a much greater benefit than just treating the symptoms of the problems. We have got to the root cause, and that should be supported across the Assembly.
179 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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