Education secretary urges schools to act ahead of new legislation on mobiles in class

The Scottish Government is to change the law to prevent pupils from using mobile phones in classrooms – with education secretary Mairi McAllan also setting out that existing guidance on their use will be toughened up ahead of legislation.

McAllan insisted there was a “spectrum of harm” linked to use of mobile phones and similar devices as she vowed the Government would launch a consultation on legislation.

While she said changing the law is the only way ministers can “mandate learning environments to be phone-free”, she urged schools to act now.

As a “signal of intent” ahead of the new law, the education secretary said “schools should move to introduce restrictions while we prepare legislation”.

Adding that the Government is working with councils and others to update the existing guidance, McAllan said she would “encourage more schools to introduce restrictions ahead of a law change”.

In a statement at Holyrood, she said: “We need to recognise the negative impact of mobile phones and screen time, and, frankly, protect our children and young people from that.

“That is why now is the time for phone-free learning environments.

“We owe it to our pupils and to teachers to do so, and to create an environment which is conducive to learning and teaching.”

She said mobile phones in classrooms could be a “distraction” and could contribute to bullying.

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

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

Adding that children are “growing up in an online world which was unimaginable 20 years ago when I was at school”, she said the “rapid evolution of technology” meant ministers have to adapt their thinking on such issues.

The education secretary said: “This Government is clear that a public health approach to respond to these challenges is necessary.

“Creating phone-free learning environments is an important part of this holistic approach.”

Her plans met with substantial support from MSPs across the chamber, with Reform UK MSP Angela Ross praising the level of consultation undertaken by the Government ahead of the announcement.

She went on to ask McAllan how the policy can “get the balance right between providing all of this support and resources, and allowing a level of autonomy within classrooms and schools”.

The education secretary said: “I think one of the problems with the current situation, and why we need to move to change the law, is because some schools have adopted it, others haven’t and that variability across the country will be letting some pupils down. So, we can’t have that and we have to correct it.”

Scottish Labour education spokeswoman Katherine Sangster asked the education secretary when the new legislation could be in place, but McAllan did not give specifics.

The education secretary also used her statement to make clear her support for the UK Government’s recent consultation on banning social media for under-16s.

She added, however, that ministers “don’t think that will solve the problem of online harms”, adding there needs to be “more concerted action to force social media and tech giants to do more to protect our children”.

McAllan vowed this was “a fight that I will not shy away from” as she backed calls for a social media levy on companies, saying funds raised from this could help support safer online engagement for young people and improved mental health.