Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has called for pupils to hand over their mobile phones before entering the classroom, after Perth and Kinross and Fife recorded nearly 1500 incidents of children being disciplined in relation to phone use.
Murdo believes that valuable teaching time is being wasted on cautioning children using mobile phones rather than education students.
Murdo Fraser has now called on pupils to be forced to give up their devices before going into class, before receiving them back at break times and before going home.
Figures collected over 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 reveal that there were 1,159 incidents involving mobile phones in Fife and 298 in Perth and Kinross.
It was revealed earlier this year that more than 100 pupils had their exam results scrapped after being caught cheating with a mobile phone.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“Eliminating distractions in the classroom must be a priority for parents, teachers and pupils and right now too much time is being spent disciplining students for using mobile phones.
“In Perth and Kinross there has been nearly 300 separate incidents and in Fife the number is a staggering 1,159 and I believe that these statistics are the tip of the iceberg.
“Across Mid-Scotland and Fife mobile phones in the classroom are a relatively new phenomenon and we must adapt school laws to cope with this.
“An outright ban on phones from school premises would be excessive however we need to chart an even path as the current set up is not working.”