Council: 'Parents with concerns about tech use can home educate their children'
Parents have been in a long-running dispute with Scottish Borders Council over the use of Ed Tech in primary classrooms
A Scottish council has told parents with concerns about technology in the classroom they can “home educate” their children if they oppose how it delivers education.
Parents of children at Scottish Borders Council (SBC) primary schools have been in a long-running dispute with the local authority.
They have shared worries about high levels of tech use in classrooms, privacy and safety concerns, as well as excessive screen time.
Alongside Glasgow and Edinburgh city councils, SBC rolled out universal iPad use from P1 upwards.
Some parents have asked the council if they can opt out from iPad use for their children and minimise tech.
However, in a letter to the MP John Lamont, who raised issues on behalf of the parents, the councils responded: "Parents whose views are fundamentally opposed to how the Council delivers education do, however, retain the lawful option to home educate their children, in line with statutory guidance."
Parents who spoke to The Scotsman preferred not to be named as they are concerned about repercussions for their children.
Mother-of-two Catherine, who asked that only her first name be used, said the response is indicative of how the council is handling complaints and concerns generally - "not with meaningful engagement, but with the message that if they do not accept the council’s digital model, they can leave the system”.
One mother said she is considering moving her children back to her home country, where she claims education standards are higher.
“We moved to this country from Europe, where I qualified as a teacher, and there is so much more screen time here than I thought.
“They talk constantly about apps and are over-stimulated by screens and over-excited by the games they play.
“I'm doing my best not to give my kids very little screen time.
“Then they go to school for six hours, and I don't know how much screen time they've had, because nobody can answer that.”
The mother-of-two would prefer her children not to have access to an iPad at all and she does not allow them to bring the devices home from school.
She added: “It is very addictive. Why would you want to train your child to be addicted?
“The council should be providing education that works for every child, not just on their own terms.”
Jane Rowland, Co-Founder of parent advocacy group SafeScreens, said: “SBC’s position appears to rest on the idea that parents must either accept the programme or withdraw from state education altogether.
“This is not a reasonable response to legitimate public concern.
“There may be no statutory opt‑out from digital learning as a mode of curriculum delivery, but that should not mean parents are not entitled to question how technology is being used when it affects their child’s learning, health, wellbeing or safeguarding.
“To suggest that families who raise concerns should simply home educate is not a proportionate response.”
It comes as John McGhee, the new head of education for Glasgow City Council, said he planned to reassess the use of iPads in Glasgow classrooms and had “binned” the maths app Sumdog.
In 2016 the city became the first to roll out universal iPad use for pupils from P1 to S6 but Mr McGhee exclusively told Scotland on Sunday it was time to look again at what works best for young people.
Scottish Borders Council was approached for comment.
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