United Kingdom, April 10 -- Bans on phones in schools should be decided by head teachers rather than the government, according to England's children's commissioner.

Dame Rachel de Souza commissioned a survey of 19,000 schools and colleges across the country, and found that nine out of 10 secondary schools already restrict smartphone usage on site.

In the report, she said: "It should always be their choice, based on their knowledge of what's best for the children in their own classrooms, not a direction imposed nationally by the government."

She pointed to the responsibility of parents and carers to manage their children's habits only, while technology companies need to "take responsibility for making the online world safe".

In the sur...