Sharon Dowey
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“There should be an outright ban, across the whole country, on phones in schools, with no exceptions, exemptions or compromise. The Scottish Government has said that headteachers have the power to impose a ban in any case, but we must go further and give them our full support.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗
“Ayr diving club has been in existence since 1964 and uses one of only four diving facilities in the whole of Scotland. It is the only one on the west coast, with the other three being on the east coast.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗
“This extremely important subject is more pressing than many of the things that we debate in Parliament, and I thank Pam Gosal for bringing it to the chamber. We know that schools, and the teachers and pupils in them, face a range of challenges, which we also know are not exclusive to Scotland.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗
“The position should be obvious to us all: phones in schools fuel distraction and conflict, pose nightmare scenarios for teachers and inflict harm in almost every area of the school, from classrooms and corridors to the playground. That is not the children’s fault, nor is it exclusive to them.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗
“As a parent, I instinctively know that the concerns relating to smart phones are completely legitimate. Anyone with eyes and ears can see the harm and distractions that those devices cause for young people, and there is also hard evidence.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗
“They go back to having a life that is not lived on the tiny screen in front of them. From the minute a pupil walks into a school, there should be no mobile phones in sight. That is what the teachers want and what the children need. That is why I am delighted to give this motion my full and unequivocal support.”
Scottish Parliament25 March 2026Source ↗