The Scottish Parliament

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)

Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Question reference: S6W-44350

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any guidance to local authorities on appropriate levels of screen use for primary school pupils in classroom settings.

Decisions about the delivery of education are devolved to local authorities. As such the Scottish Government has not issued guidance on specific or appropriate levels of device or screen use in classroom settings. It is for councils to decide how and when digital technology is used to support learning, in line with their local education and digital strategies. We have published guidance for parents on screen time for school-aged children via Parent Club.

The term screen use covers a wide range of activities with varying levels of educational value. In schools, digital activity is typically planned, structured and directly linked to learning objectives, and is therefore not directly comparable to recreational or passive screen use outside the classroom. The Parent Club guidance reflects this noting, what they’re watching or doing is just as important as counting the number of minutes.

The Scottish Government would expect content and activities available on school managed devices to be carefully curated by local authorities to support learning and teaching. Devices should be appropriately secured, filtered and monitored, with access to inappropriate or non-educational content restricted, providing pupils with an age appropriate and supervised digital environment.

Digital technologies are one tool among many available to support learning. Teachers are trusted to exercise their professional judgement in deciding when digital approaches add pedagogical ,inclusive or practical value, and when other approaches are more appropriate, as they do with any learning resource.

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Question reference: S6W-44350

Answer