Mobile phones to be banned in Edinburgh primary schools

The City of Edinburgh Council has said that a mobile phone ban in schools across the Capital will improve the overall “well-being” of pupils.

Primary schools across Edinburgh will enforce a ban on the devices from November in a bid to improve pupils’ moods, encourage less screen time, and increase face-to-face interaction.

All pupils will be required to participate, and they can access their devices at the end of the school day by tapping their phones on one of the unlocking bases in the school.

Exemptions will be available for students who have a medical need to have a smartphone.

‘Mobile phone ban is so important’

City officials have said a large part of the new rule is to prioritise the safety of students.

“People have seen some quite distressing content in schools”, said Cllr James Dalgleish, from the City of Edinburgh Council. “So for us, that’s not acceptable.”

“It’s about the welfare of our pupils, it’s about allowing teachers to do their jobs.

“These young people’s future isn’t it, so they need to be able to go to school and feel safe, be able to concentrate and have as few distractions as possible. So that’s why this mobile phone ban is so important, it is for the welfare of our young people.”

The primary school ban will start in November, giving council officers time to plan its application.

A device-free day is something that pupils at Leith Walk Primary School agree is a “good idea”.

Lily-Rose Leslie and Milo Pavely agree with the phone ban. STV News

“I think it’s a good ban, I think we need it”, primary seven student Lily-Rose Leslie said.

While fellow student Mily Pavely added: “I think it’s a good idea because people will get questions wrong in class because they’re thinking about what’s on their phone or what they’re going to do when they get their phone after the lesson.”

A teacher previously described trying to teach with phones around as like being in “a casino full of cocaine”.

Susannah Jefferies, head teacher of Leith Walk, has given her backing to the ban, saying that the early years of learning should be distraction-free.

“I’ve certainly seen children who’ve had really difficult experiences in relation to mobile phone use, technology, accessing apps that they’re not quite ready to be using”, she said.

“I think it’s really positive for them to have big periods of the day where that’s not part of what they’re involved in.”

Susannah Jefferies, head teacher of Leith Walk, has backed the ban. STV News

Perth and Kinross Council became the first to approve a blanket ban on mobile phones in school classrooms back in March.

A phone-free policy was then piloted at two high schools, Portobello and Queensferry High School, in Edinburgh.

Under this policy, pupils had to put their phones into lockable pouches until the end of the school day.

A consultation is now set to be launched on a general ban in secondary schools across the country, with analysis starting in January and a report to be presented to councillors in March.