Every year at the start of term teachers face disruption from mobile phones, music players and beeping gadgets.

However the rules are clear: teachers can and will confiscate these if they see them in lessons — and have the legal backing to do so.

This persistent, disruptive behaviour can also result in temporary or even permanent exclusion from school.

Children’s Minister Kevin Brennan urged parents to act and said: “Christmas is great fun and I’m sure, as is the case in my house, children and young people from across the country will be getting a whole range of fascinating gadgets.

“However, there is a time and place for them and, learning tools such as calculators aside, the classroom is not that place.

“It is rightly down to schools to decide how best to deal with electronic equipment being brought in for use in the playground. But we are absolutely clear that when it comes to lessons, noisy toys are not acceptable.”

In 2005/06 there were 2,370 permanent and 72,340 temporary exclusions for persistent disruptive behaviour.

Since April 2008 teachers have had a legal right to confiscate items such a mobiles phones from pupils.

Chris Keats, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: “Every year some youngsters arrive back at school with MP3 players, mobile phones and electronic games.

“This can be a real headache for teachers when they are trying to get everyone settled down to start learning.

Teachers would be grateful if pupils just brought a pen.”