East Lothian approves school mobile phone restrictions

East Lothian Council has approved a policy to restrict mobile phone use in all its schools, a move that aligns with a broader Scottish Government consultation on potential national legislation. The council voted unanimously on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, to implement what it terms "mobile free learning" across the county starting in October. Under the new rules, secondary school students will be required to place their phones in secure pouches during lessons. For primary schools, pupils in the earliest years (P1 to P3) will be banned from bringing phones to school entirely, while older primary students (P4 to P7) must store their devices in lock boxes during class time.