The City of Edinburgh Council has revealed that the estimated cost to lock up mobile phones in Scottish schools could sit between £380,000 and £495,000.
This figure considers the cost of installing lock-up cabinets in primary schools, lockable pouches in secondary schools and expense of insurance if phones are damaged or lost under schools’ care.
This price-up report comes after the Education Secretary, Jenny Gilruth, issued government guidance in August 2024 which drew attention to a study that found almost a third of 15-year-old students in Scotland reported being distracted by their phones in class.
Gilruth noted that the mobile phone problem has exacerbated post-COVID-19 and warned: “Over-exposure to mobile phone use can result in limited concentration, unhappiness and isolation.”
Following Gilruth’s vow to support headteachers instituting mobile phones bans, the City of Edinburgh Council have produced several reports this autumn on the practicalities of widespread phone bans in Edinburgh schools.
Alongside financial costs, another issue being considered is the potential for conflict if students refuse to comply with teachers’ requests.
Despite fiscal and behavioural concerns, the Council’s Education, Children and Families Committee have decided to pursue a widespread ban in primary schools.
The fate of a secondary school phone ban will likely be decided following the results of pilot studies currently taking place in Portobello and Queensferry schools, with students being supplied with lockable pouches for their phones during lesson time.
The results of these studies will be reviewed in January 2026, alongside a more thorough consideration of financial costs, before any ban is further considered.
Whether the City of Edinburgh Council chooses to fully implement a widespread ban across all schools or not, it appears the effect of phone restrictions remains questionable.
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