Technical Notes 2026, Issue 131 - Dissemination of Information and Data Provided to the Mobile Devices Scrutiny Panel (Policy PM03-42)
Report by:
Greg Bremner – Chief Education Officer
TN Number:
131-26
Subject:
Dissemination of Information and Data Provided to the Mobile Devices Scrutiny Panel (Policy PM03-42)
Responsible Officer:
Kevin Kelly, Quality Improvement Manager
Publication:
This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared out with the Council.
The purpose of this Technical Note is to provide members of the Education Committee with an update on Mobile Device Policy across East Dunbartonshire Schools. At the most recent Education Committee on 3 September 2026, members requested further information which could be shared following our scrutiny panel
The summary below provides members with the key aspects covered during the Scrutiny Panel of 23 June 2026
The Policy establishes clear baseline operational guidelines, while providing Head Teachers with a contextual toolkit to tailor enforcement to their school's specific needs
Primary Schools - Pupils are strongly encouraged to leave devices at home. If brought, devices must remain switched off and stored securely in bags throughout the entire day (including break and lunch). Smartwatches must be in airplane mode. This represents a full-day ban
Secondary Schools - Devices must be switched off and kept out of sight by default. Devices are strictly prohibited in lessons unless explicitly authorised by the teacher for a planned learning task. Use during intervals/lunch is determined locally following school-level consultation with clear boundaries (e.g. listening to music with earphones). Devices are strictly prohibited in all Qualification Scotland assessment rooms
To ensure a safe educational environment, four categories of misuse are strictly prohibited across all schools and trigger disciplinary action:
Recording or photographing staff, pupils, or school premises without explicit consent
Audio recording of lessons or individuals
Posting school-related content to social media without prior approval
Engaging in online cyberbullying or peer harassment
To monitor policy implementation and pupil safety, the Education Service tracks serious mobile device incidents and quarterly reports across all primary and secondary schools
January – March 2026: The primary sector recorded 3 incidents of unauthorised recording or livestreaming, while the secondary sector recorded 6 incidents of unauthorised recording or livestreaming
April – June 2026: The primary sector recorded 1 incident of unauthorised recording, whereas the secondary sector recorded 2 incidents, consisting of 1 unauthorised recording and 1 instance of inappropriate online content
The Policy remains a living framework subject to continuous monitoring and future alignment
The Scottish Government has launched a national public consultation ('Restricting mobile phones in Scotland's schools'), closing on 17 November 2026. This consultation explores primary legislation establishing statutory restrictions and reviewing staff search/confiscation powers across Scotland. This has been disseminated to schools and parents for comment
Each school monitors policy impact via existing self-evaluation mechanisms, supported by annual staff updates and open feedback channels for pupils and parents
A formal, comprehensive review of Policy PM03-42 - including updated Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Risk Assessment - is scheduled for January / February 2027 and will be reported to Education Committee thereafter.
