HEADTEACHERS have been given powers to ban mobile phones in Scottish schools as part of a new raft of measures to tackle bad behaviour in the classroom.
New guidance published on Thursday by the Scottish Government is aimed at improving behaviour in school and attendance, both of which have worsened since the pandemic.
Schools will be given powers to ban mobile phones on the premises, with Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth saying there were “undoubtedly growing behavioural issues associated with mobile phones”.
Speaking on a visit to Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Gilruth said: “While it is clear that the vast majority of pupils in our schools continue to behave well, there are undoubtedly growing behavioural issues associated with mobile phones.
“This new guidance empowers head teachers to take the steps they see fit for their school to limit the use of mobile phones, including a full ban on the school estate if they feel that is required and I would encourage teachers to take all the steps they feel necessary to combat these issues.”
She said that pupils across the country had “experienced periods of significant challenge, including a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis”.
Gilruth added: “There is no doubt this has had a major impact on their schooling and how they learn.”
The Scottish Government pointed to research by the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) which found that almost a third of 15-year-olds in Scotland, and internationally, had reported being distracted by using digital devices in maths classes – with around a quarter saying they had been distracted by others using mobile phones.
Acting Stonelaw High School headteacher Vicki Rice said: “We discussed our work earlier this year with our parents and pupils about excessive phone use and the impact that this can have on learning.
“This work helped inform our plans for this session to protect the learning environment by limiting phone use in certain areas of the school.”
While the Scottish Government has said it “does not intend to dictate approaches to our headteachers”, the Education Secretary (above) said that she “will support any headteacher who decides to institute a ban on mobile phones in their school”.
The new guidance sets out some exceptions, including pupils who have caring responsibilities who may need to remain in contact with relatives through the school day.
Exceptions in the case of a full ban may also be appropriate for pupils with additional support needs for whom access to a phone is considered a necessary adjustment or those who suffer anxiety while away from home in the case of school trips, the guidance said.
Some Scottish schools have already banned phones from the premises.
In February, Galashiels Academy announced that mobiles "should not be seen or heard in the school building" except during break times.
Gilruth, a former secondary school teacher, has previously expressed sympathy with banning phones in schools.
Last year she expressed concern about the impact of social media on children's emotional and intellectual development.
Mike Corbett of the NASUWT teaching union said it is “disappointing that the Scottish Government has not as yet committed any additional funding, time or resources to schools” for the new action plan.
He added: “We know that mobile phones can be used as a tool to bully and harass fellow pupils and teachers, as well as distracting pupils from their learning.
“We therefore welcome the guidance from the Scottish Government that school leaders can take steps to limit or ban the use of phones in their schools if they see fit.
“However, to be effective, addressing the use of mobile phones should form part of joined up, whole-school strategies on managing pupil behaviour.”
EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley claimed the action plan “fails to identify how, where and to what extent the requisite resources will be channelled towards solving or even alleviating the problem of disruptive, violent and aggressive behaviour in our schools”.
The union leader added: “There is a need for urgent action to ensure that our schools are safe places to learn and to work – the action plan must be backed up by resources to deliver the change that children, young people, teachers and all school staff need.
“Without the necessary allocation of funding and resources, the plan will become little but a wish list and a real wasted opportunity to deliver a better, safer learning and teaching environment in Scotland’s schools.”
And Labour's education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy has called on the Education Secretary to deliver a statement to Parliament after summer recess ends on whether schools will get more cash from the Government.
She said: “While this report is to be welcomed, it is long overdue and people could be forgiven for wondering why it took so long to publish something that leaves so much unanswered.
“Despite welcome attention to certain issues facing teachers and school staff, this report has nothing at all to say about new resources for teachers amid deep cuts and is thin on details."
