Scotland’s schools will be able to ban mobile phones over concerns they are fuelling a slump in pupil performance.
New guidance is to be published that will allow headteachers to ban the use of digital devices in the classroom, ministers have confirmed.
There are growing concerns mobile use in class is damaging education, causing disruptive behaviour and contributing to online bullying.
It follows the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) research, which showed Scotland has slid down international rankings in maths, science and reading.
The report found significantly more pupils being distracted by digital devices in Scotland than across the UK as a whole.
The move was announced by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth yesterday in a statement to MSPs.
She also unveiled a drive to boost standards in maths and stepped up her threat to withdraw special funding for councils if they fail to protect teacher numbers.
Ms Gilruth said: ‘I cannot unilaterally ban mobile phones – that power, of course, rests with headteachers and our local authorities.
‘But I want to examine all the evidence on this and encourage schools to take the action they deem necessary.
