School mobile phone ban must make exemption for young carers, Carers Trust warns

Following reports of a proposed complete ban on pupils using mobile phones at school, Carers Trust's CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said:

“It’s vital that the hundreds of thousands of young carers in England are exempt from any complete ban on mobile phones in schools, which will make their lives even harder. An outright ban would make it impossible for them to stay in touch with the family members they look after. At Carers Trust, we know how these young people often rely on their phones to find out urgently if something has gone wrong at home, to hear how medical tests have gone or to check in on unwell parents at breaktimes. Where there are schools with complete bans already, we have heard from young carers who resorted to hiding in toilet cubicles to have sensitive and sometimes upsetting conversations with their family.

“With the 2021 Census figures showing there are nearly 15,000 children caring for over 50 hours a week, including over 3,000 five to nine-year-olds, many young carers are already struggling with the educational impact of their caring responsibilities. Research by Carers Trust shows 40% of young and young adult carers don’t get enough help at school to balance their education with caring, and 28% say there often isn’t someone at school who understands their role as a young carer. This is often to the detriment of their education, with one in three young carers struggling to balance caring with learning, and the UK Government must ensure it doesn’t make their lives any more difficult.”

ENDS

For further information please contact: 

Mark Chandler, mchandler@carers.org and 07712 427808

About Carers Trust

Carers Trust is the UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers across the UK.  It partners with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support, deliver innovative and evidence-based programmes and raise awareness & influence policy.​ Carers Trust’s vision is that unpaid carers are heard and valued, with access to support, advice and resources to enable them to live fulfilled lives.

Carers Trust hosts the Young Carers Alliance, a network of over 180 organisations and 450 individuals committed to improving identification and support for young carers and young adult carers. Carers Trust also hosts the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance, an informal network of young carers services across Scotland. It has 51 members who provide support to young carers.

To find your nearest local carer organisation for advice and support, visit carers.org

 

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