Minister says mobile operators back voluntary ban at primary level – The Irish Times

The country’s leading mobile phone operators have backed a Department of Education initiative to “keep childhood smartphone free” at primary level.

Most operators do not permit the sale of phones to under-13s. However, they clarified on Wednesday evening that they also support the choices of parents who decide to buy smartphones for their children.

Ms Foley welcomed a decision by Vodafone, Three, eir, Tesco Mobile, Virgin Media and An Post Mobile – who collectively have a 95 per cent share of the Republic’s mobile phone market – to back a voluntary no-smartphone policy for primary schoolchildren.

Under this initiative, primary schools parents’ associations are encouraged to set up voluntary agreements to avoid buying smartphones for their children while in primary school.

The initiative, which began in Greystones, Co Wicklow, has since been adopted by parents’ associations across dozens of schools in counties such as Clare, Dublin, Wicklow and Waterford.

The move comes…