Has school mobile ban created smarter pupils?
A SCOTS school has recorded its best exam results in five years after it enforced a ban on mobile phones.
kilgraston School in Bridge of earn, Perthshire, said the move had led to an immediate improvement in attention spans.
removing the distraction of phones has been tested before in Perthshire, with Glenalmond college recording a similar upturn in results.
kilgraston’s headmistress, Dorothy MacGinty, said the rule had been of particular benefit to lower-achieving students at the independent girls’ school.
She added: ‘Our exam results at the end of our first year of banning mobile phones were the best we have had for five years.
‘Our cohort of girls were strong, especially in upper and lower sixth, but we did not expect national 5 results to be so strong.
‘We believe the ban on mobile phones has been instrumental in allowing these year groups to really focus on study and revision without distraction.’
Mrs MacGinty said especially encouraging were results for those pupils who had found academia challenging, and who achieved better than predicted results.
At Glenalmond college, where a ban has been in place since autumn last year, deputy head teacher Gareth O’neill said: ‘Our pupils have learned to manage their time, which is a very important skill. They are not distracted by social media or by other pupils using their mobile devices, so they focus on using their time effectively.
‘These improvements in the social skills of conversation and listening to others are incredibly important life skills.
‘Visitors to Glenalmond remark on how welcome it is to see pupils chatting between classes, in contrast with other schools where the pupils’ heads are down during break times as they scroll through their screens.’
He said the ban had been welcomed by the majority of pupils, who quickly adapted to it.
At Fettes college, in edinburgh, staff say younger boarding pupils who have had their phones taken away at night are experiencing healthier sleeping patterns.
However, other private schools, such as Morrison’s Academy in crieff, Perthshire, are encouraging students to embrace smartphones and digital technology during their lessons.
The school’s digital strategy coordinator, Pamela Boal, said: ‘All the harms and distractions that technology presents inside school exist outside it, and to remove devices altogether ignores the many undoubted benefits they bring.’
She said removing phones could leave pupils unable to use technology wisely in later life.
The 500-pupil school, whose former pupils include actor ewan McGregor and curler eve Muirhead, said accessing smart technology encouraged curiosity and critical thinking.
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