Scottish Parliament – Jan. 22, 2025 – 1

S6M-16170.3: As an amendment to motion S6M-16170 in the name of Miles Briggs (Delivering School Environments Where it is Safe for Pupils to Learn and Teachers to Teach), leave out from first “calls on ministers” to end and insert “recognises the importance of the Scottish Government and local authorities working together to facilitate an environment in which all young people are safe to learn, develop and grow;

notes the Scottish Government national guidance on mobile phones in schools, which empowers headteachers to take decisions on banning mobile phone use in schools;

agrees with the importance of ensuring that children are protected from online harms;

notes the importance of ensuring that children and young people are able to share their perspective on their education, and calls on all partners to continue working closely with the Scottish Government to improve behaviour and relationships in schools.”

Original motion(S6M-16170): That the Parliament notes the ongoing concern at reported cases of violence against pupils and staff, and disruption in schools, and the need for action to help restore positive learning environments in which all young people and teachers are safe to learn and teach in a respectful and supported setting;

welcomes the publication of the joint national action plan with COSLA in August 2024, which set out a range of actions needed to be taken at both local and national levels to address violence in schools, alongside the Scottish Government's action plan on tackling violence and verbal abuse in schools;

calls on ministers to bring forward an update to the Parliament on how these actions are being taken forward;

further calls on ministers to review the reporting and publication of data on incidents relating to violence and harassment in schools;

notes the disparity in the availability of early years provision across Scotland and the potential long-term impacts on children's development and educational outcomes;

calls for a review to identify and mitigate negative influences on learning environments in primary schools, including factors affecting pupil behaviour and engagement;

further calls on the Scottish Government to support children and young people impacted by violence and disruption in schools and to facilitate an environment in which all young people are safe to learn, develop and grow;

notes the publication of the Scottish Government guidance on mobile phones in schools, and calls on ministers to take forward a national policy on a ban on mobile phones in classrooms and the provision of single-sex toilets and accessible toilets in all schools;

acknowledges the recent passing of a law banning children under 16 from using social media in Australia, and calls on ministers to undertake a review in Scotland of the negative impact of social media on young people and the growing body of evidence suggesting that "over-exposure" to mobile phones and social media can result in pupils experiencing limited concentration, isolation and poor mental health, as well as the potential for a similar ban in Scotland.