Headmistress of King’s alma mater says schools crisis proves she was right to ban mobiles in the classroom

• Gordonstoun in Moray launched crackdown on mobiles during the day in 2017
• Now report shows Scottish education has slipped down global rankings – and smart phone use is factor in decline

Mobile phone use should be banned in classrooms to clamp down on disruption and drive up attainment, the head of one of Scotland’s top schools has said.

Lisa Kerr, principal of Gordonstoun School in Moray – alma mater of King Charles – spoke out after a major report showed the country plunging down global education rankings.

Head Lisa Kerr ended phone distraction at Gordonstoun

The damning study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that Scots pupils were being distracted by smartphones, which experts claimed were stoking anxiety levels and affecting learning.

Now Ms Kerr has urged other schools to follow the example of Gordonstoun, where mobiles have been banned – a move which she said had bolstered exam results.

The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that 15-year-olds in Scotland lag behind pupils in former Soviet bloc countries such as the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia – and are also outperformed by their peers in England.

Last night Ms Kerr said: ‘This report from PISA has confirmed our long-standing concerns that allowing students unrestricted use of their mobile phones during the school day causes major disruption in the classroom for everyone. It’s unrealistic to expect children to concentrate on their schoolwork when they are being distracted by constant updates to their mobile.

‘Apps are literally designed to be addictive, to create regular dopamine mini-hits. When Gordonstoun decided in 2017 to restrict the use of mobiles, we were driven by concerns they were having a detrimental impact on students’ mental health and their ability to fully focus on lessons. Since then, concentration has improved and, with it, exam results.’

In September, the school informed pupils they must leave their phones in their boarding houses during the school day and hand them to staff overnight.

‘The PISA report is further evidence that action is needed to allow schools across the country to adopt a similar policy,’ added Ms Kerr.

According to researchers, more than one in five children in Scotland say they want mobiles kept out of classrooms.

King Charles with his father the Duke of Edinburgh (left) and Captain Iain Tennant, Chairman of the Gordonstoun Board of Governors, arriving at Gordonstoun for the Prince’s first day at the public school, May 1962

Andreas Schleicher of the OECD said: ‘Even many students in Scotland said, “My neighbour is using their smartphone during a lesson and I can’t concentrate”.’

The PISA report revealed a worrying drop in attainment in maths, reading and science in Scottish schools.

Among the UK home nations, Scotland has the widest attainment gap in maths skills between poorer and better-off pupils.

The Scottish Conservatives said the figures were a ‘devastating indictment’ of the SNP’s ‘long-term mismanagement’ of education since taking power in 2007, including the party’s introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While any decision on banning mobile phones would ultimately be a matter for local authorities, the Education Secretary has been clear that she is keen to examine all the evidence on this issue.’

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