Mobile phones: guidance for Scotland's schools

Foreword

In the aftermath of the pandemic, relationships and behaviour in our schools have changed. Since becoming Education Secretary, I have heard that directly from our teachers and support staff – the Scottish Government’s Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) provided the detailed evidence on many of the issues we face.

Mobile phones have become intrinsic to the way we all communicate; particularly for our young people. Notwithstanding, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that over-exposure to mobile phone use can result in limited concentration, unhappiness and isolation. Further, the recently published Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 data, published in December 2023, showed that almost a third of 15 year olds in Scotland and across all OECD countries reported being distracted using digital devices in most or every maths class – and around a quarter reported being distracted by others using digital devices.

It is important we equip the next generation with the necessary skills and resilience associated with the modern age. Mobile phone use impacts on learning and teaching. Within this context it is important that Scotland’s headteachers are empowered to act in the best interests of their pupils, to support our hard-working teachers to ensure a consistent learning environment is provided to all pupils in our classrooms.

That means empowering headteachers to take the steps they see fit to limit the use of mobile phones in our schools, up to and including a full ban on the school estate during the school day, if that is their judgement. I am clear in publishing this guidance that, as Cabinet Secretary, I will support any headteacher who decides to institute a ban on mobile phones in their school. Crucially, however, this decision is one which rests with Scotland’s headteachers, who know their pupils and their staff and who we trust to take the best decisions in the interests of their school communities.

The Scottish Government does not intend to dictate approaches to our headteachers – they know better than anyone the specific approach which will work best in their school. But we are making clear with this guidance that our headteachers are empowered to take action up to and including a whole school bans. This Government supports Scotland’s schools in taking the necessary steps to tackle the negative effects associated with mobile phone use; to enhance outcomes for all of Scotland’s young people.

Jenny Gilruth MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills