Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister Givan said his party has not made a “clear policy decision” on the issue.
In September 2025, Givan began a phone-ban pilot in nine schools in Northern Ireland.
“I introduced a clear policy for all schools that we shouldn’t have smart phones being accessed in our post-primary settings from when you arrive in school until you leave school,” he told BBC News NI’s Sunday Politics.
“We need to see effective implementation of that policy.”
The pilot scheme, which aimed at restricting pupils from using their mobile phones during school hours, was hailed as “very beneficial” among those participating in the scheme in September.
The pilot, which will aim to explore the benefits of a phone-free school day, runs until March.
Last September, Fiona Kane, principal at St Ronan’s College, said the scheme had “transformed learning and teaching”.
“Phones are a massive distraction during the day and there would have been incidents where pupils would have a sneaky look during lessons,” she added.