London, Jun 30 (IANS): UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has called for a ban on smartphones in school classrooms as part of an initiative to improve student behaviour.

Earlier, the Department for Education (DfE) announced a plan to ask teachers and school leaders for views on managing good behaviour, including the use of smartphones while inside a classroom, Xinhua news agency.

Williamson's call on Tuesday came ahead of plans to update government guidance later this year on behaviour and discipline in schools, as well as student suspensions and permanent exclusions.

A six-week consultation will seek views on how schools maintain calm classrooms, the use of removal rooms and creating phone-free school days, among other measures.

"No parent wants to send their child to a school where poor behaviour is rife," Williamson said.

"Every school should be a safe place that allows young people to thrive and teachers to excel.

"Cellphones are not just distracting, but when misused or overused, they can have a damaging effect on a pupil's mental health and wellbeing.

"I want to put an end to this, making the school day mobile-free," the Education Secretary added.

In order to help students overcome the challenges from the pandemic and level up opportunity for all young people, he noted, it was necessary to ensure they can benefit from calm classrooms which support them to thrive.

Some of school teaching staff, however, described Williamson's call as a distraction.

"In reality, every school will already have a robust policy on the use of mobile phones," Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told The Guardian newspaper.

"Frankly, school and college leaders would prefer the education secretary to be delivering an ambitious post-pandemic recovery plan."