The woman dubbed “the strictest headteacher in Britain” has offered a radical solution to the reading crisis impacting the UK.
It comes after a survey of teachers found a third of boys regard being asked to read books as a form of punishment.
Teacher Katharine Birbalsingh feels the issue comes down to internet overexposure from a young age.
The 50-year-old believes radical means to tackle the problem are necessary, suggesting children under the age of 16 should not be allowed a smartphone.
A headteacher has given advice on how to get more children reading
PA
Speaking to GB News, she said books aren’t able to compete with the capabilities of modern technology when it comes to entertaining youngsters.
She said: “If you are giving your children smartphones from a young age, they will never love reading.
“A book cannot compete with a phone. A phone has colours, explosions and changing things, a book is black and white and flat.
“If you want your child to love reading, you must decrease the amount of screen time.
“Frankly, I wouldn’t suggest no screen time to under-fives at all until they have got to a point where they’ve got so many books in their lives, that is how they access their entertainment.
“If children can choose their entertainment between a screen and a book, they will always choose the screen.
“Generally speaking, if you are inundating your children with screen time, they will never learn to love reading.”
GB News presenter Bev Turner told Birbalsingh that her 13-year-old daughter’s screen time has become a “battleground” in her household, as Turner feels the luxury of smart phone usage should be “earned”.
Offering her advice on how parents should deal with the issue, Katharine Birbalsingh said: “Young children, don’t give them phones at all.
“We advise here at my school, don’t give your children phones until they’re 16.
“Parents that follow our advice, their children are always in the top set, always excelling.
“Those that are on their phones all the time, they will often drop sets, they perform badly in their exams, they don’t achieve their potential in GCSE.
Katharine Birbalsingh offers advice to parents in a bid to get more children reading
PA / GB News
“All your writing subjects depend on reading. The only way you can improve your writing is through reading.
“Sadly, it’s already hard enough with 13-year-olds keeping them engaged while reading, as this has always been the case.
“It’s even more impossible when their parents are giving them smartphones.”
The poll, commissioned by GL Assessment, found nearly three in four (71 per cent) secondary school teachers believe there has been an increase in “reluctant readers” in the past three years.
“Reluctant readers” is a term given to those who are deemed capable of reading but require more encouragement if they are to pick up a book.
A third (33 per cent) of secondary school teachers believe male pupils consider being asked to read as a punishment, in comparison to just 15 per cent who believe female pupils have the same reaction.
The survey, which questioned 539 secondary school teachers, found 88 per cent believe social media is a significant blockage in their efforts to get children reading.
