Pupils can't get phone signal at Dunfermline Learning Campus

There's no point trying to message on Snapchat, scroll on Tiktok or post on Instagram during classes at St Columba's and Woodmill as the signal in the new building is so poor.

The use of mobile phones has been cited as one of the factors behind a rise in violence, aggression and bullying in Scottish schools and headteachers have now been given the power to ban them from the grounds.

At the City of Dunfermline area committee, education officer Alan Cumming told councillors: "There can be bigger issues and the work that really needs to be done is about building relationships and how young people are interacting with each other throughout the school and out in the community.

"There are external factors that we maybe didn't see in previous generations, mobile phones for example are an issue that often comes up when we talk about relationship issues so the schools are starting to review how they are working with mobile phones.

"I'm aware of one school that has banned mobile phones and I believe the new Dunfermline Learning Campus, whether it's luck or not I don't know, the young people can't get a mobile phone signal within the building.

"I think that's a benefit in a lot of ways in terms of teaching and relationships, that aspect of it, but schools are working very hard at building that resilience in young people."

Pupils 'can't get a mobile phone signal' at the new Dunfermline Learning Campus. Education officials believe it will help curb behaviour problems. (Image: David Wardle)
Violence and bullying in schools came up during a report on the Pupilwise and Parentwise surveys that were undertaken during the 2023-24 school year and included the results for Dunfermline.

Councillor Aude Boubaker-Calder said: "Almost half of the pupils are unhappy not only with how they're treated by other pupils but also how the school is dealing with violence.

"And over half of the parents are not satisfied with the way schools are dealing with this issue.

"To be honest that's two years we've been raising this now where we've been told schools are working hard but we've not seen any concrete action.

"I'm getting really worried that nothing proactive is being done."

READ MORE: 'There is zero argument for not banning mobile phones in schools'

From the Dunfermline pupils that completed the survey, 54 per cent felt that their school listened to their concerns about bullying and 57 per cent said their schools took action on it.

For Dunfermline parents the figures were 49 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.

After the meeting Cllr Boubaker-Calder told the Press: "“Violence in Fife’s schools has been growing in recent years and with so many pupils and parents feeling their concerns over bullying are going unheeded, there is clearly something wrong here.

“At the committee meeting I made the point that we can’t just point to strategies but need concrete actions to deal with this explosion in bullying and violence.

“These figures come out on the same week as an EIS report showing most teachers in Fife have been victims of violence in the past four years.

“This needs to stop. I will continue to press for action to ensure that pupils and staff can go to school and not have to deal with aggression and violence.”