The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has launched a campaign to remove mobile phones from schools, as concerns grow over children’s addiction to their screens.
Esther Ghey’s 16-year-old daughter was fatally stabbed 28 times after being lured by two fellow teenagers to Culcheth Linear Park in Warrington in February 2023.
Her petition to Sir Keir Starmer’s government is driven by her own personal experience of Brianna’s addiction to her mobile phone, which began to seriously affect her school life.
Brianna, who had thousands of followers on TikTok, struggled with her mental health, which was worsened by accessing eating-disorder and self-harm content on X.
Prior to her death, there had been 120 safeguarding logs and 116 behaviour incidents recorded by her school, which has led to her mother calling for a “blanket ban” on smartphones being brought into classrooms.
Recent research by the Children’s Commission found that 79 per cent of secondary schools are still allowing pupils to bring their mobile phones into school, while one in five pupils have noted they are disrupted everyday by others using their phones.
In an open letter, Ms Ghey said: “Right now, the Government is not doing enough. Current guidance leaves implementation to individual schools, creating a postcode lottery, some areas manage effective restrictions, others do not.
“Most schools are relying on children to resist a temptation even adults struggle with. It’s not fair, and it’s not working.
“There is a solution. We are calling for a statutory ban on mobile phone use during the school day (with medical and accessibility exemptions) alongside funding for secure storage solutions for phones at schools to ensure fair, safe, and consistent implementation in every school.
“We know it can work – schools that can afford this approach are reporting improvements in both staff and student wellbeing.
“School should be a place of focus, connection and protection. Our children deserve an education free from digital distraction, and we have the tools to make it happen.”
Brianna’s own school, Birchwood Community High School, has since introduced special pouches to lock up students’ phones during the day.
Headteacher Emma Mills told The Mirror that the move is “allowing kids to be kids again”, with pupils not able to open the pouches until home time.
She said: “Around school, there is more chatter in the corridors at breaks and lunch, students are more focused in lessons and the number attending House competitions and enrichment activities has risen.”
She added: “Students say they like the ‘break’ from it. They say it has reduced their stress levels knowing they don’t have to think about what is happening. It has made them realise they can live without it.”
Brianna was killed by classmate Scarlett Jenkinson and her friend Eddie Ratcliffe, after they discussed her murder for weeks, detailed in Jenkinson’s handwritten plan and phone messages found by detectives.
Jenkinson was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in December 2023 to a minimum sentence of 22 years in prison, and Ratcliffe to a minimum term of 20 years.
