The Scottish government is giving its “clear support for whole-school bans” of mobile phones, education secretary Jenny Gilruth said this afternoon.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Ms Gilruth said last month’s guidance for schools on mobile phones took her as close to a ban on mobiles as is currently possible.
Ms Gilruth also revealed that, when visiting a South Lanarkshire school to launch the guidance, she learned that pupils received an average of 18 updates to their phones during a single lesson.
“Members will know that I do not currently have the power to ban mobile phones as cabinet secretary,” Ms Gilruth told MSPs today.
“However, the updated national guidance goes as far towards a national ban as I am currently able to - by setting out the government’s clear support for whole-school bans.”
She said that “headteachers are empowered to take the steps that they consider appropriate to create an environment free from the disruption caused by mobile phones”, adding: “If that environment is best created by banning phones in the entirety of the school estate...the guidance supports that decision.”
‘Shocked’ by volume of phone alerts in classes
When she launched the guidance at Stonelaw High in Rutherglen last month, Ms Gilruth heard from students and staff about the impact of mobile phones in classrooms. Before the summer, nearly 700 students at the school monitored their screen time during a period of personal and social education.
“Some of their teachers also took part in the exercise - and both pupils and teachers alike were shocked by the results,” said Ms Gilruth.
“On average every pupil received 18 notifications during that one-hour lesson. Multiply that by the number of pupils in a class and you can see how much disruption that causes to pupils’ concentration.”
Ms Gilruth said that “headteachers know their schools best, and the guidance provides them with the flexibility that works for them and their local context”. At Stonelaw, “following engagement with pupils, parents and staff, the school has prohibited mobile phones in learning and teaching areas, during learning and teaching time”.
The education secretary said: “This protects the learning environment, whilst respecting children and young people’s personal time at breaks.
“Speaking to the staff and pupils, they appreciated the school taking this balanced approach. They spoke about the trust placed in them - through allowing continued use of mobile phones in certain areas and at certain times - and the privilege given to them by their teachers was not something they wanted to abuse.”
Education secretary’s required reading
Ms Gilruth said she had recently been reading The Anxious Generation by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, which “highlights the broad impact that increased access to smartphones, screens and social media is having on young people”. The impact on mental health, addiction and sleep deprivation highlighted in the book “are all factors which impact on young people’s readiness to learn”, the education secretary said.
She also set out a “wide variety” of other challenges that schools “wouldn’t have been facing five or 10 years ago, including pupils who are less mature than they would expect, with difficulties communicating their emotions and navigating social dynamics”. Many struggle with mental health, ”exacerbated by the pandemic and stress caused by the cost-of-living crisis”.
Ms Gilruth also highlighted “the rise of right-wing influencers having an impact of prevalence of misogyny towards pupils and staff” and “the cost-of-living crisis impacting on engagement”.
As well as the mobile-phone guidance, the Scottish government also published its long-awaited behaviour plan in August.
“I want to acknowledge the frustration some colleagues have felt about how long it has taken to publish the action plan,” she said, adding: “I want to provide reassurance to colleagues that while we have been developing the plan we have continued to implement action to support schools and staff. The new mobile guidance is an example of this.”
‘Suite of support’ for schools
This, she said, was part of “a suite of support announced since last November”, including:
Ms Gilruth said there would be “refreshed guidance on anti-bullying” and “work on consequences” later this year. Information to “enhance understanding of S4 leavers”, she added, was published this morning.
The education secretary said: “I recognise there are unlikely to be quick, easy fixes to addressing these challenges. Neither can - nor should - they be addressed by schools alone.
“It will take sustained effort, by everyone who has a role to play, to improve this situation.”
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