SCOTTISH Labour pushed for a ban in mobile phones in schools today during a Holyrood debate.

The Scottish government said last year that a blanket national ban would not be “appropriate or feasible.”

Speaking ahead of the debate, Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “Classrooms should be safe places to learn, but under the SNP violence is on the rise, bullying is rife and attention spans are shortening.

“Parents and teachers have told us time and time that banning mobile phones would improve our education system overnight — it’s time for the SNP to listen.”

Responding, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “I have been clear that I will support any headteacher who decides to implement a ban on mobile phones. That’s exactly why our national guidance was updated last year to make it explicit that schools can take appropriate steps to limit the use of mobile phones, including banning their use in school.”