Mobile phones could be banned for the full day in EVERY Scottish school under new proposal
The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on plans to introduce a national ban on mobile phone use in schools, with ministers considering whether it should apply throughout the entire school day or only during lessons. The move marks a significant escalation from previous 2024 guidance that merely encouraged headteachers to restrict phone use, with the SNP now proposing mandatory legal restrictions to address concerns over pupils' education, sleep, wellbeing and safety, including bullying, harassment and radicalisation.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said the government was treating the issue as a public health matter, and separate updated guidance warns that misusing phones to take unauthorised photos, videos or recordings could constitute a criminal offence reportable to police. The consultation, open to pupils, parents, teachers and education authorities, will also weigh possible exemptions for pupils with medical conditions, caring responsibilities or additional support needs. National data shows 62% of eight to 11-year-olds and 96% of 12 to 15-year-olds own a mobile phone, while research suggests nearly one in three 15-year-olds report frequent distraction from digital devices during maths lessons.
- SNP consults on banning phones for whole school day, not just lessons
- Builds on 2024 guidance, now proposing mandatory legislation
- 96% of 12-15-year-olds in Scotland own a mobile phone
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Scottish schools have generally been able to set their own rules on pupils’ phones. Government guidance issued in 2024 encouraged headteachers to restrict their use, while the latest consultation considers whether national rules should be compulsory.
The debate centres on how phones may affect learning, sleep, wellbeing and safety, including through bullying or harassment. Education Secretary Màiri McAllan says the government views the issue as a public health matter; updated guidance also says taking or sharing unauthorised images or recordings at school could be a criminal offence.
Pupils, parents, teachers and education authorities are being asked for their views, including on possible exceptions for medical conditions, caring duties or additional support needs. The outcome could shape how schools across Scotland balance restrictions with pupils’ individual circumstances.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Research documents significant educational disruption—nearly one-third of teenagers distracted in lessons—alongside documented harms to sleep, mental wellbeing and safety, including cyberbullying and harassment. Schools have a duty of care to provide safe learning environments, and a national ban represents an evidence-based intervention for an age group that cannot reliably self-regulate against technology deliberately designed to be addictive, particularly given that 96 per cent of older pupils own phones.
The case against
Opponents contend that a comprehensive ban dismisses legitimate educational and accessibility uses, eliminates emergency contact capabilities families depend on, and misses the opportunity to teach digital responsibility through guided use and literacy education. A one-size-fits-all national mandate also overlooks individual school contexts, and critics argue sustainable improvement requires addressing technology company design practices and parental engagement, not restrictions that risk eroding trust and prove difficult to enforce equitably across diverse student populations.