Education minister calls for ban on mobile phones inside classrooms

Education Minister Simon Birmingham wants smartphones kept out of classrooms as one way to curtail the rising number of cyber bullying cases involving children.

File: Federal Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham at Australind Senior High School, Perth Source: AAP

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham wants smartphones banned from classrooms, saying they are a distraction and "a platform for bullying".

The recent death of 14-year-old Amy "Dolly" Everett, a victim of cyber-bullying, has put the spotlight on the issue of access to social media and the harm it causes.

"There's almost no reason students shouldn't have their phones switched off and in their lockers while they're at school," Senator Birmingham told News Corp.

"Although learning to work with technology is essential, phones can be a distraction from lessons and a platform for bullying unless schools have the right policies in place."