Labour to push for mobile phone ban in Scottish schools

Scottish Labour will use its debating time in Holyrood on Wednesday to push for a ban on mobile phones in schools.

Concerns have been raised about behaviour and attainment in schools in the years since the pandemic, with some suggesting barring devices from classrooms as a way of improving the situation.

Last year, the Scottish Government said a blanket national ban would not be “appropriate or feasible”, but Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she would back headteachers who took such a decision.

Speaking ahead of the debate on Wednesday afternoon, Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “Classrooms should be safe places to learn, but under the SNP violence is on the rise, bullying is rife and attention spans are shortening.

“Teachers are going above and beyond to support pupils, but they are being let down by a vacuum in leadership from the SNP.

“We owe it to the next generation to give them the best possible education and it is a total dereliction of duty for the SNP to pass the buck on so many of the key issues facing our schools.

“Parents and teachers have told us time and time that banning mobile phones would improve our education system overnight – it’s time for the SNP to listen.”

Responding to the Labour calls, Ms Gilruth said: “I have been clear that I will support any headteacher who decides to implement a ban on mobile phones – that’s exactly why our national guidance was updated last year to make it explicit that schools can take appropriate steps to limit the use of mobile phones, including banning their use in school.

“A number of schools and council areas have banned mobile phones in classrooms since this was introduced.”