Scottish schools to ban phones

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan says new legislation will be introduced, alongside a public health campaign. 

Schools and other learning environments across Scotland will soon go phone-free, according to Education Secretary Màiri McAllan who has committed to new legislation on the matter. 

Photo by Gaelle Marcel / Unsplash

While that is in process, a consultation will be launched shortly and updated guidance for schools will be published this summer. The intention is to deliver a phased and evidence-based public health approach to tackling recognised online homes, informed by children and young people themselves. The guidance is now being refreshed to encourage schools to bring in restrictions from August, in time for the new school year – and in advance of the legislation being developed. 

The Scottish government will also develop a public health campaign aimed at young people and their parents to raise awareness of potential harms from being online, as well as to provide advice on how to stay safe on the internet. 

Together, these planned actions build on work outlined in the Online Safety Taskforce Action Plan 2026-27. 

Existing guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools was published in 2024. This states that headteachers can take the steps they consider appropriate to respond to disruption caused by mobile phones. The guidance was developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships & Behaviour in Schools, comprising COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education, the main teaching unions and parents’ representatives.  

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan MSP says: ‘We will shortly publish a consultation on laws to make our learning environments phone free, meeting our commitment to do so in the first 100 days of this government. Legislation is the way for us to mandate phone-free learning, but if head teachers want to take action themselves they do not have to wait, and nor should they. 

‘While we prepare legislation, we are working with education authorities to refresh the current guidance by the end of June, to support schools to consider their approach from the next term. Our schools and learning environments should be safe and nurturing environments for our children and young people, where they can learn free from the distractions of mobile phones.’ 

You can read the full statement by the Education Secretary on phone-free schools. 

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