Schools ‘won’t be able to ban mobiles from classrooms’
...because of yet another broken promise by Scottish Government
SCHOOLS will be unable to ban mobile phones in the classroom because of the Scottish Government’s failure to deliver on a promise to provide a free laptop or tablet to every pupil, it has been claimed.
Head teachers highlighted that schools in some council areas are having to ask pupils to bring in their own devices to complete work in the classroom.
It led to concerns that the policy will mean staff will be unable to ban pupils from bringing their mobiles to school.
SNP ministers failed to deliver on a 2021 promise, unveiled by John Swinney when he was education secretary, to provide all schoolchildren with a tablet, laptop or Chromebook.
Minutes of a May 22 meeting of the government’s head teacher taskforce show that concerns were raised about the ability to ban mobile devices. They show Education Secretary
‘Betrayal of youngsters and teachers’
Jenny Gilruth sought the views of headteachers on refreshed guidance about the use of mobiles in the classroom.
The heads said a ‘positive culture’ around the use of phones helped mitigate problems, and that encouraging schools to take appropriate action rather than introducing a blanket ban was welcomed as it gives schools flexibility, which can be helpful for securing parental support.
But the minutes go on to state: ‘Not all local authorities provided access to devices so schools may need to implement a bring-yourown-device policy.’
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘This is a classic illustration of how yet again one SNP broken promise has led to another.
‘The Nationalists have belatedly woken up to the fact that teachers require the power to ban mobile phones to maintain classroom discipline.
‘Yet teachers’ ability to do so is hopelessly compromised by the SNP’s abject failure to fulfil their flagship pledge in 2021 to provide a laptop or tablet to every school pupil in Scotland. This is a personal humiliation for John Swinney – who was the education secretary at the time – but more importantly a betrayal of Scotland’s youngsters and teachers.’
Mr Kerr called for a ban on the use of mobiles to be delivered but for ministers to ensure that teachers have the resources needed to implement it without pupils’ education suffering.
Mr Swinney announced the promise to provide a device to all pupils at the SNP conference in March 2021. He said: ‘If we are reelected in May, the SNP will roll out a new programme to deliver into the hands of every school child in Scotland a laptop, Chromebook or tablet to use in school and at home. It will be updated when necessary, replaced when needed and upgraded as technology improves.’
The commitment was later watered down, with Ms Gilruth telling parliament in March this year: ‘We will provide support at household level, targeting device investment at disadvantaged families with children.’
A petition calling on the government to require all schools to prohibit the use of mobile phones during the school day has attracted 4,982 signatures since being introduced at Holyrood last month.
The government said it would publish new guidance in the next school year, with the ‘starting point’ being ‘head teachers will be empowered to take any action they deem necessary, including banning mobile phone use’.