During a speech this week Williamson called for all schools to ban mobile phones as they are “not just distracting, but when misused or overused, they can have a damaging effect on a pupil’s mental health and wellbeing”.
He also called on all schools to enforce “strong and effective” behaviour policies and announced plans to launch a national survey, to monitor the “state of behaviour” in schools.
But the NEU says Williamson should instead be focused on funding pastoral care, smaller class sizes and tackling attainment gaps among pupils.
Greater support is vital to helping schools to tackle links between poverty, mental health and behaviour, says the union.
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