By Lesley Walsh
GLENLOLA Collegiate School pupils have reacted ‘very positively’ to an experiment to ban phones from the school corridors, as part of a new pilot involving more than 8,000 young people across Northern Ireland.
The new phone-free pilot has been unveiled by the Department of Education in a bid to improve concentration in the classroom and support students’ wellbeing.
Minister Paul Givan launched the exercise in September in nine schools in a pilot that will run until March 2026 and involves pupils depositing their phones in pouches in the morning ahead of classes.
Brian Montgomery, the vice-principal at Glenlola, said the school was ‘really excited to be part of this initiative’ which involves each of the school’s 1,050 pupils.
“It will allow us to gain valuable evidence that restricting the use of mobile phones during the school day can have a positive impact on academic engagement and achievement, as well as on the social interaction levels and wellbeing of the pupils involved,” he said.
As part of the scheme, the girls have received a secure, lockable pouch in which they place their mobile phone at the start of the school day, with the pouch remaining locked throughout the day.
They are then unlocked by them as they leave the school buildings, and while students keep the pouches with them during the day, they are not able to use their phones during school hours.
“We are delighted to share the early success of our mobile phone pilot initiative. With strong backing from staff, parents and pupils, we are continuing to build upon our ongoing commitment in Glenlola of creating a calm, focused and respectful learning environment where all students can thrive,” added Mr Montgomery.
Reaction among the pupils has been ‘very positive’, he confirmed yesterday.
“There was some concern at the start but luckily the buy-in has been very positive with the girls, especially the older girls who have been very good about it.
“We have been very pleased that they have laid down a marker for the younger ones and have led by example,” he added.
Launching the scheme last week, the Education Minister said he had ‘carefully reviewed the evidence and listened to the concerns of parents, teachers and school leaders about mobile phone use in schools’.
“There is growing unease about the amount of time young people spend on smartphones, and research increasingly points to a link between excessive use and declining mental health among adolescents,” he said.
“While some schools here in Northern Ireland have already introduced their own policies, I believe we need a consistent, evidence-based approach. This pilot will help us understand what works best and how we can support schools to make changes that benefit pupils—boosting wellbeing, focus and academic achievement.”
A report about the evaluation of the phone-free pilot is due to be published in June 2026.
