Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth signals further action on mobile phone usage in schools after election
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has signalled that a re-elected SNP government would be ready to take further action over mobile phones in schools.
The Scottish Government's current stance is that it will back head teachers who decide to ban phones in their schools, but the decision is up to them.
However during a member's debate on the last day of the Scottish Parliament before the elections, Ms Gilruth said she believed there was a "growing consensus" for more action and suggested the next government would have to "consider legislative change".
The debate was sponsored by Scottish Tory MSP Pam Gosal, who said the Tories planned to bring their own Bill in the next session of parliament to ban mobile phones in schools.
She said: "Children’s brains are still developing, which is why we have age limits on alcohol consumption, driving and consent. They are now being raised in a world that is more demanding than the one that we grew up in, and a lot of that involves the excessive use of technology and social media.
"The Conservatives were the first party in Britain to support a ban on social media use for under-16s and have long backed a full ban on mobile phones in schools in Scotland. In the next session of parliament, we will introduce a mobile phone ban bill, to ensure that pupils can focus on learning and to end the postcode lottery of differing school policies."
Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs described the impact of phone use on young people as "a growing public heath emergency".
And he praised the pilot bans on mobiles at Edinburgh's Portobello and Queesnferry high schools. "They are delivering great results for the whole school community and, most importantly, young people say that they welcome the fact that they have finally woken up to the wasted time and the negativity that social media brings to their lives."
Scottish Lib Dem leader and Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton welcomed the emerging consensus on phone use in schools. But he added: "An act of this parliament is sometimes required to create the kind of cultural shift that we are talking about, as it was for the ban on smoking in public places."
Ms Gilruth told MSPs: "We all share concerns about the impact of mobile phones and screentime on our children and young people. We know it’s causing them harm - it's causing them anxiety, it's causing some real mental health challenges, and others are groomed and abused sexually online and also physically.
“The government, back in 2024, published updated national guidance in which I was clear that any head teacher would have my full backing should they see fit to implement a ban, but ultimately that decision was left to head teachers' discretion.
"But I do think there is a growing consensus on this issue that more action needs to be taken. It is fair to say the policy landscape has shifted since 2024. I do think the next government is going to have to consider legislative change in our schools."
Asked by Ms Gosal if she would commit to legislation to ban mobile phones in schools, Ms Gilruth said: I do not want to prejudge the outcome of any political manifestos that may be coming forward, but I hope she hears from me that I am considering very seriously wider action in this space."
But she said a ban in isolation was not the answer.
“The question that is worth asking is whether a national ban, were we to introduce legislative change in the next parliamentary session, would be enough for our schools. If the next Government is to legislate on school education, we need to be much more ambitious than simply considering a mobile phone ban.”
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