Scottish Government urges schools to act on mobile phones ahead of legislation

The Scottish Government has urged schools to act on mobile phones in classrooms before it moves to legislate to restrict usage.

Education secretary Màiri McAllan confirmed to parliament that the government will launch a consultation on phone-free classrooms within the first 100 days of government.  

Ahead of this, schools have been encouraged to take steps to restrict usage ahead of the new school year.  

Despite arguing that technology has benefits, mobile phones and excessive screen time are linked to a “spectrum of harm” that is contributing to disruption in classrooms, she said.

She added that there is a “higher risk of depression, anxiety, poor sleep and poor health in adolescence that arises from smartphone use”.

McAllan said: “A public health approach means being clear about the harms and taking a holistic approach to addressing these.”

Banning mobile phones in classroom settings was a key education policy set out in the SNP’s election manifesto.  

In 2024, the Scottish Government introduced guidance which allowed headteachers to choose whether to impose a ban in their school. Strengthening that guidance yesterday, McAllan confirmed that schools will be given the option to ban phones in classrooms or for the entire day.  

However, there are exemptions for students who are carers, have a medical condition, or have additional support needs.  

Last September, Edinburgh City Council moved to ban phones in primary schools, and next week the council’s education committee is expected to vote on a “bell-to-bell” ban for secondary pupils, which would consist of putting their devices in locked pouches.  

McAllan also said Scottish ministers will push for the UK Government to ban social media for under-16s – an issue it is currently consulting on.  

She said: “Legislation is the way for us to mandate phone-free learning, but if headteachers want to take action themselves, they do not have to wait, and nor should they.

“While we prepare legislation, we are working with education authorities to refresh the current guidance by the end of June, to support schools to consider their approach from the next term.”

Responding to McAllan’s statement, Mary Glasgow, chief executive of the national children’s charity, Children First, described it as a “strong commitment” by the government to “set clear, consistent limits on mobile phone use in schools as part of a wider public health response to protect children from online harm”.

She said: “The proposed guidance for schools must include firm boundaries for working with technology providers, so children’s data is protected and they are never exposed to advertising, addictive design or harmful content.

“Children are experiencing online harm on an unprecedented scale which must be matched by an unprecedented level of leadership and commitment. That’s why we’re calling on the government to establish an independent online harm reduction unit within the first 100 days of the new parliament. The unit would bring together expertise from across sectors to better understand risk, support parents, carers and professionals, and challenge harmful and exploitative practices by tech companies.”