Some schools are stopping phone use ,some are not ,its haphazard to say the least ,kids are using them at break ,at lunchtime etc. The allocation of 9 million seems exorbitant but let's see the breakdown ,does allocating 9m mean it all has to be used up,surely value for money should come into the equation and if it can be done cheaper then it should be.
The mental health benefits though are huge I think. Imagine your child entering first year to a mobile free environment, surely it will encourage more social interaction and students will not be bombarded with social media during the day. Get the cost right but in principle I think it's a great idea.