Equalities Impact Assessment - Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland's Schools

Screening

Policy Aim

The policy aim is to support education authorities and schools to establish or review mobile phone policies in schools. Existing policy guidance reflects the earlier findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, relating to the inappropriate use of mobile phones in schools. This guidance has now been updated to take account of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 and the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023 which confirmed an emergent pattern of serious disruptive behaviour associated with inappropriate mobile phone use in schools. Therefore the guidance has been revised to include the policy considerations necessary for education authorities and schools in introducing restrictions or limitations on mobile phones in the school estate during the school day.

Who will it affect?

The guidance affects those attending public schools in Scotland. It may also have a secondary effect to school staff, where school’s policies also introduce, by agreement, limitations on their staff’s use of mobile phones during the school day and within the school estate.

What might prevent the desired outcomes being achieved?

Education authorities and schools can introduce bans or limitations to mobile phone use in schools, during the school day, as a policy approach. It is known that policies which are introduced following detailed engagement with the whole-school community, including parents and carers, pupils, school staff and those who work in schools are the most effective.