MSP calls for action on mobile phone cyber-bullying in schools

Action on banning pupils from using mobile phones in schools has been called for by a Glasgow MSP.

Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Labour MSP, highlighted “inappropriate content” being shared and “cyberbullying” in schools.

She asked the Education secretary if she planned to issue guidance to schools “encouraging them to prohibit the use of mobile phones by pupils” and “what policies are being considered to tackle the problem”.

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McNeill said: “In secondary schools, the behaviour that is most commonly reported by staff as having the greatest negative impact is pupils using mobile phones when they should not be.

“People commonly assume that smartphones are a problem only in secondary schools, but one of my constituents has raised concerns about his child’s primary school, which has had problems with inappropriate content being circulated on WhatsApp groups and bullying via smartphones.”

Jenny Gilruth, Education Secretary said the government would shortly publish updated guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools.

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She said: “As a starting point for that guidance, headteachers should be empowered to take any action that they deem to be necessary, including banning mobile phone use, should they see fit.”

She added that many headteachers have already chosen to do that in their schools.

Gilruth added mobile phone use was a key finding from the behaviour in Scottish schools research that the Scottish Government published in November.

She added: “The Government has a number of policies on anti-bullying, which we take extraordinarily seriously. It is worth putting on the record that, in the coming weeks, following the publication of the mobile phone guidance, we will publish an updated national action plan to address some of the challenges with behaviour in our schools. Through that work, we will seek to ensure that our anti-bullying policies are updated.”

The minister said it was not only a problem in schools.

She added: “It is worth recording the real challenge that exists with mobile technology, and I would observe that the issue relates not only to schools but to our discourse in the Parliament.”