Holyrood should ‘look at’ mobile phone use by MSPs, Education Secretary suggests

Scotland’s Education Secretary has suggested MSPS could “engage better” by not using mobile phones and other electronic devices “all the time” in Holyrood.

Jenny Gilruth made the suggestion after she said headteachers in Scotland would be “empowered” to ban mobile phones from their classrooms if necessary

While new Scottish Government guidance on mobile phones in schools said a nationwide ban on the devices was not “appropriate or feasible”, Ms Gilruth – former modern studies teacher – made clear recently that she would “support any headteacher who decides to institute a ban on mobile phones in their school”.

However, she told a fringe event at the SNP conference in Edinburgh that politicians could be modelling poor behaviour for youngsters with their use of devices in Holyrood.

Speaking at the fringe event, which was organised by the EIS teaching union, she said that people watching Parliament debates and committees would see “routinely MSPs – and I include myself in this – sit on their electronic devices”.

The Education Secretary recalled that former Holyrood presiding officer Tricia Marwick had banned MSPs from using mobile phones and tablet devices in Holyrood’s chamber.

That was later lifted and Ms Gilruth revealed one of the current deputy presiding officers had said that MSPs “don’t debate any more in the Parliament,” but instead have “reading out contests”.

Ms Gilruth said she believed that was “to some extent true” as she suggested: “Maybe we should look at the use of electronic devices in our Parliament because we are asking our kids to do something in terms of their behaviour, and maybe politicians should similarly learn to engage better by not using our electronic devices all the time.”

A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “Guidance on the use of devices in the Chamber is reviewed periodically, however, the Presiding Officer has no plans for a review at this time.”