- Legislation to protect pupils' education and wellbeing
Pupils, parents and teachers are among those being encouraged to
share their views about restricting phones in schools with the
launch of a public consultation today.
The Scottish Government's consultation will inform the
development of legislation to restrict phone use in schools,
given concerns about the harmful effect on pupils' education and
wellbeing. Views are sought on the extent, scope and potential
impact of any restrictions, as well as any possible exemptions.
Updated guidance, published in June, already encourages schools
to restrict the use of phones during teaching and learning time
as a minimum while the proposed mandatory legal restrictions are
being developed.
The consultation has been published alongside practical guidance
for parents to keep their children safe online and manage their
screen time with the advice being posted from today on Scottish
Government social media channels.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Perth Grammar School, Education
Secretary MÃ iri McAllan said:
Smartphones are a fact of modern life, and it is important that
we equip the next generation with the necessary skills, knowledge
and resilience to thrive. However, the evidence of the risks that
phones can pose to young people is compelling from disruption to
education, sleep and wellbeing, to more severe harms including
bullying, harassment and radicalisation.
The Scottish Government is treating this as a public health
issue. We are publishing content from today about how parents can
help keep their children safe online, alongside surveys to seek
views on what more can be done to support families.
We have already used guidance to encourage headteachers to
restrict the use of phones, but we know teachers, parents, carers
and pupils want a consistent approach across Scotland. That's why
national legislation is important. This consultation gives
children, young people, parents and carers, school staff and
education authorities the opportunity to share their views on
what this legislation should look like.
Background
The consultation on restricting
mobile phones in Scotland's schools meets the Scottish
Government's 100 Days commitment on mobile phones in schools. It
is open for responses until 17 November, with analysis expected
to be published in early 2027.
Mobile phones: guidance for
Scotland's schools - updated 2026 - gov.scot
Children, young people and their parents or carers can also share
details of additional support they might need via online surveys
published last week. Protecting young people from
online harms - gov.scot
