CHILDREN under 15 could soon be banned from bringing a mobile phone to school under new rules being examined in parliament this week.

The Senate has voted in favour of the regulations, which would prohibit the use of mobiles in infant, junior and secondary schools – écoles maternelles, élémentaires and collèges. Lycée pupils would not be affected.

Senators have also agreed to a ban on mobile phone advertising targeted at children under 14.

The proposals will now be examined by the National Assembly, which has previously considered an advertising age limit of 12.

The proposed ban in schools comes after a survey by TNS Sofres found that half of all 12 to 17-year-olds use their mobile phone in lessons.

They send texts, play games – and 7% of teens admitted that they had secretly filmed a teacher in mid-lesson.

About half of the 500 schoolchildren questioned said they had been caught at least once when their mobile phone started to ring in class.

A ban on mobiles is likely to anger some parents. Child protection charity Action Innocence said it was against the ban because it would make it more difficult for children to get help if they were in danger on the way to or from school.