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Shocking revelation: New survey exposes the reality of North West students’ phone usage during lessons

A new survey of secondary school students in North West schools has shown more than a quarter of students have admitted to shopping during class, with 14% of those using school-owned devices to do so.

The survey, by Impero Software, revealed a quarter of students have accessed harmful or violent online content in the classroom, 11% have viewed X-rated content such as pornography, and 8% have used gambling sites. One in 20 students (5%) have even accessed the dark web during lessons.

Although usage generally increases with age, the data highlights how even the youngest pupils are accessing prohibited sites – nearly a fifth (17%) of 11-year-olds have viewed harmful/violent content in class.

Impero’s research supports the notion that a blanket ban on mobile phones in schools may not fully address the safeguarding challenges, as many incidents involving mobile devices occur outside of school.

Rayner said: ”A ban could not only limit the positive use of mobile technology for learning but also potentially expose children to other online risks. Such a ban could prompt students to use devices secretly, with students hesitant to report cyberbullying due to the fear of getting in trouble for using their phones or having them confiscated.”

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