The government have shared plans to ban mobile phones in schools in England, as ministers begin outlining how a ban could work.

Currently, in England it is up to the individual headteachers to decide their own policies on mobile phones and whether they should be banned.

However, discussions of a government ban have been rumoured since Education Secretary Gillian Keegan originally pledged to bring forward changes prohibiting mobile phone use in schools at last October’s Tory conference.

Now, new guidance published by the government shares how headteachers can enforce a ban on mobile phones in schools.

One of the guidelines given by the government to English schools suggests a total ban on phones on school premises another added that pupils should be required to hand in phones at the start of the day.

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It adds that headteachers should be reminded they are allowed to search pupils for banned items under school rules, adding that they have legal protection from being sued over loss or damage to confiscated items.

Although the government has issued guidelines, it is currently still up to the individual school to implement the rules.

But, we wanted to know what our readers thought of a ban on mobile phones in schools.

Do you think mobile phones should be banned in schools? 

What did the government say about a mobile phone ban in schools?

Tom Bennet, who advises the Department for Education on behaviour, said: “Mobile phones may be ubiquitous, but we have a strong and growing understanding of how damaging they can be for a child’s social and educational development.

“Many schools already have some kind of policy on phones, but this guidance provides a clear steer for everyone, including parents, about what’s right and what’s not for the wellbeing of the child."

The Government pointed to recent official data that showed 29% of secondary school pupils reported mobile phones being used when they weren't supposed to be.