Scotland Phone Ban

Students in Scotland are getting ready to go back to school this month.

Kids in Edinburgh will not be able to use their cell phones at all during the school day. A strict new rule states that there are no phones allowed in class, during recess, or at lunch.

According to a report by BBC Newsround, the City of Edinburgh Council is leading the way by being one of the first local areas in the country to implement phone bans. Younger kids in primary school will lock their phones inside classroom cabinets. Older students in secondary school will keep them inside special lockable pouches.

Since phone pouches take time to deliver, some schools might not have them on the very first day. However, city education leader James Dalgleish promised that every school will have the system ready by the beginning of October at the latest.

This choice follows advice from the government regarding how to create phone-free environments so teachers can teach and students can learn without any electronic distractions.

Special exceptions will still be made for students who need their phones for health or family reasons.