Wales won't ban mobile phones in schools, first minister says

Wales won't ban mobile phones in schools, first minister says13 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleElliw GwawrWales political correspondentGetty ImagesA new law for England is expected to ensure schools are free of smartphones during the dayThere will not be a Wales-wide ban on mobile phones in schools, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has said.In England, the UK government intends to pass a law so that schools must ensure schools are free of smartphones during the day.Speaking at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey, ap Iorwerth said his Plaid Cymru Welsh government will instead "empower schools" to make their own decisions.Meanwhile he said action "needs to be taken" on under-16s' use of social media. He spoke as a consultation by the UK government on the impact of social media on children under the age of 16 comes to an end.Ap Iorwerth said on Tuesday that it was important to "follow the evidence" in the social media consultation to make sure "appropriate steps" were being taken to protect young people.Streeting backs under-16s social media ban as government consultation concludes'We need social media to survive' - teens oppose banPlaid's manifesto for the Senedd election said the party would "empower local authorities to promote students' safety, learning and wellbeing through restricting the use of smartphones in schools for under-16s".It said the party would work with "councils and school leaders to implement this in a practical and proportionate way, with appropriate exemptions where necessary".Ap Iorwerth told BBC Wales he wanted his government to "facilitate schools to take the decisions that they feel are right to protect children and young people".But there is no suggestion that the Welsh government will force schools to ban mobile phones.Ap Iorwerth said: "I don't think of it in terms of a ban, I think about it as action on a number of diffe...