Headteachers will be able to ban mobile phones in schools – but the Scottish Government does not intend to bring in a nationwide ban on the devices in classrooms.
A Scotland-wide ban on the devices in schools is “not considered to be appropriate or feasible”, new guidance from ministers has stated.
It comes as Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said there “are undoubtedly growing behavioural issues associated with mobile phones”.
As a result, she said the guidance makes clear head teachers will be “empowered to take action up to and including whole school bans” where they believe this to be necessary.
However, the Education Secretary said: “The Scottish Government does not intend to dictate approaches to our headteachers – they know better than anyone the specific approach which will work best in their school.”
Ms Gilruth, a former modern studies teacher, stressed she would “support any headteacher who decides to institute a ban on mobile phones in their school”.
But she insisted: “This decision is one which rests with Scotland’s headteachers, who know their pupils and their staff and who we trust to take the best decisions in the interests of their school communities.”
READ MORE: Scottish Government to give head teachers powers to ban phones in schools
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