Edinburgh secondaries become first to ban phones during school day

Two Edinburgh schools have become the first in Scotland to completely ban phones during school hours.

Portobello High School and Queensferry High School have announced a phone-free policy that will require students to store their phones in pouches at the start of the school day.

The new policy aims to minimise distractions and positively impact young people’s mental health.

In August the Scottish Government announced its guidance on phone use in schools, which empowered headteachers to restrict access to devices during learning hours.

But the policy has since come under fire for shifting the responsibility to schools, and experts have urged ministers to introduce a nationwide ban.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee, said: “Mobile phones in classroom settings are increasingly competing with the teachers for learners’ attention and limiting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive thing for our young people.”

From today, pupils from S1 to S6 at Portobello High will place their devices in a lockable pouch throughout the school day, with the same policy to begin in Queensferry High School in a week’s time.

Both schools decided to become phone-free after a six-month long discussion with parents and pupils showed that there was widespread support for the policy. More than eight in 10 parents and carers of children attending Portobello positively supported the introduction of the measure.

Griffiths added: “I know that schools across Edinburgh, and indeed the country, are exploring ways to manage mobile phone use, including restricting phone use during the school day. The new pouches provide an innovative way for our young people to have distance from their devices while having the reassurance that they are still in their possession. We hope that this new policy will increase focus on learning, reduce classroom distractions and help improve wellbeing.”

It follows on from other schools across the UK deciding to lock phones in special pouches during the day. Kingswood school in Bath introduced the technology earlier this year and teachers have reported higher engagement from students since.

Similarly, last year the Irish government invested €9m – equivalent to around £7.6m - on lockable phone pouches for secondary schools in a bid to support learning.