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​ Teachers today have so much more to contend with than mine did, back when telephones were still in a red phone box. We used to pass the occasional note under the desk to each other, but woe betide anyone who was caught in the act. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.

Depending on whether it was Mrs Sharpe, the maths teacher, or Mr Lindsey, who taught physics, the punishment could range from an ear-wigging to the belt. But with nearly everyone over the age of 12 owning a mobile phone – 97 per cent according to Ofcom – phones in the classroom are a big problem for both teachers and their pupils. Last year, Unesco called for smartphones to be banned in schools as there is strong evidence that their use is linked to reduced educational performance and can affect a youngster’s wellbeing.



There is also a host of research that shows phones can lead to online bullying and disruption in class. Advertisement Advertisement In February, the UK government introduced guidelines to limit the use of mobile phones in English schools and similar restrictions are in place in France, Italy and Portugal. So it’s not surprising that there has been a call by an Edinburgh councillor to consider how the city can control pupils using smartphones at their desk – or in the case of my grandson, unde.

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