JNC Sept 1st 2026 Scottish Government Guidance on Mobile Phones
Renfrewshire Council · 1 September 2026
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 1 September 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC Agenda Item .......... Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers To: Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers On: 1st September 2026 Report by Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) Scottish Government Guidance on Phone-free Learning 1. Background New guidance, “phone-free learning before law change” was published on 30th June 2026. https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance-mobile-phones-scotlands-schools- update-2026/ The document urges schools to ban phones during teaching time ‘as a minimum’ and intimates that there is “planned legislation to create phone-free learning environments”. Renfrewshire Council recently undertook a review of its policy around mobile phone use after the Teachers’ side raised concerns that mobile phone use was a growing concern for the wellbeing of staff and pupils alike. The new Cabinet Secretary for Education references some of the harms of mobile phones in the above document stating: mobile phones are causing distraction in the classroom and we must end this so our children and young people can reach their full educational potential. Beyond distraction, we know there is a spectrum of other harms associated with the online world from issues with sleep, mental health and loss of concentration through to exposure to harmful, violent or misogynistic content and, in extreme cases, incitement to self-harm, severe bullying and grooming A further Scottish Government consultation is planned to restrict the use of mobile ‘phones but the current advice from the Cabinet Secretary urges action: “encouraging Scotland’s education authorities, headteachers and schools to act now, following our refreshed guidance. [ https://www.gov.scot/publications/guidance- mobile-phones-scotlands-schools-update-2026/ ]… As a minimum, restrictions should apply during teaching and learning time, but schools should also consider implementing a whole school ban.” The updated guidance also encourages schools “to adopt a robust but measured response to the inappropriate use of mobile phones to minimise distraction, disruption and emotional harm.”
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PUBLIC 2. Recommendation That Renfrewshire Council, in consultation with the Teachers’ side, reviews the Policy in all schools in respect of mobile devices with a view to implementing the current Scottish Government interim advice and guidance which replaces that issued in August 2024. That any consultations should give consideration of what “a robust but measured response to the inappropriate use of mobile phones” looks like. That all head teachers, after having consulted with their school communities, are supported in restricting the use of mobile phones by the Local Authority.