Edinburgh schools have implemented a ban on mobile phones, affecting both primary and secondary school pupils, though the required security pouches for older students are not yet available. The new policy came into effect as students returned after the summer holidays.
Primary school pupils are required to store their phones in cabinets during the school day. Secondary school students, who were previously informed they would need to use magnetically-sealed pouches for their devices, will have to keep phones turned off and out of sight until the pouches are distributed. A council spokesperson stated that the pouches are not expected to be ready until at least next month, as the new system is still undergoing testing.
The ban mandates that phones must remain off and unseen throughout the school day, including break times, unless a student has a specific exemption. Guidance regarding these exemptions and necessary reasonable adjustments is still being finalized.
Edinburgh is among the first local authorities in Scotland to introduce such comprehensive restrictions on mobile phone use in schools. The policy follows trials conducted in Portobello and Queensferry. The new regulations also extend to cover smartwatches for both primary and secondary school students.