WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....


THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND POTENTIAL PITFALLS


Comment by DAI DURBRIDGE, Partner within law firm Browne Jacobson’s education team B


anning social media for under-16s may feel like the path of least resistance for the government but it will likely create challenges for schools.


We have already seen how readily young people can bypass restrictions using virtual private networks, older siblings’ accounts and fake images since the Online Safety Act 2023 was implemented. The Children’s Code, which regulates access to online services for children, was also introduced in September 2021 and, if it had been enforced effectively, could have made a big difference to ensuring children’s online life was designed with their safety in mind.


It therefore appears to be a lack of enforcement, rather than lack of suitable legislation, that has meant children have not been protected. The quality of enforcement and the strength of the tools used to prevent children accessing social media must be addressed if the social media ban is to be effective.


Schools are already expected to operate mobile phone-free environments by default, with pupils denied access during lessons, break times and between lessons. But a statutory ban on under-16s accessing social media platforms is a fundamentally different obligation. It will raise immediate practical questions that headteachers and


governors need to be thinking about now. This will involve understanding what the expectation looks like when a pupil is accessing banned platforms at home, and how pastoral and safeguarding staff respond when they become aware that children are using platforms they are legally prohibited from accessing. Schools should take proactive steps between now and spring 2027 by ensuring staff are trained on what the incoming restrictions will require, and communicating to parents and carers about what the ban covers and, crucially, what it doesn’t. Messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal are explicitly excluded from the social media ban,


which means schools that permit or use such apps for communication will need to think carefully about the implications of that gap. The Department for Education should also consider how to integrate further digital literacy skills into the curriculum as delayed exposure to these platforms could actually make later use riskier, rather than safer, with a ‘cliff edge’ moment at turning 16.


Given the horse has already bolted on social media, a broader public discussion should now take place on how we retain or divert some of the genuine benefits it offers young people. These include peer support networks – particularly for isolated or marginalised teenagers – creative communities and access to educational content.


ENGLAND’S RECORD LOSS OF TEACHERS IS AN INFLECTION POINT Comment by Dr IAN HUNTER, Founder and CEO of Writer’s Toolbox


E


ngland losing a record number of teachers from the profession is an ‘inflection point’ in what has become a global challenge.


There are other countries in the commonwealth, such as Australia and New Zealand, where teachers leaving the profession is hitting rates not seen since the 1970s. In one recently-reported Australian study, two-thirds of teachers described their workload as “completely unmanageable”. It’s a perfect storm. Teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers, pupil numbers per class are multiplying, there are increasing compliance expectations, a


disadvantage gap is widening at frightening levels, and perhaps the most diverse learning needs our generation has seen continues to rise. At one level, it feels overwhelming for teachers.


Yet, we have an opportunity in this country to get ahead if we act prudently and decisively, rather than join a line of global casualties. We have a highly-trained and deeply-committed cohort of teachers in Britain. This must be defended. When you lose quality teachers, you don’t just lose skill: you lose deep vocational commitment and investment in the future of our nation. The family, the community, the classroom teacher – they’re a unit, creating the next generation of citizens and leaders. It isn’t about the money. But it is about us as a government and a society asking some critical questions and addressing them meaningfully. What tangible actions can we take to reduce unnecessary workload? What meaningless tasks can we eliminate? How can we use technology


July/August 2026 www.education-today.co.uk 27


to augment the work of the classroom teacher and ensure every pupil is engaged and supported – whatever their ability – to be all they can be? These are some of the vital questions of our age.


Teacher exodus in other countries is already showing us we cannot leave this issue as merely another interesting debate. We must act decisively.


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