Scotland’s largest council has “binned” the maths app Sumdog amid concerns about the “gamification” of learning. John McGhee, Glasgow’s new director of education, said he had “binned” the central contract for the software. Meanwhile, parents in Scottish Borders Council (SBC) said the local authority had instructed parent councils to fundraise to pay for Sumdog. The Scotsman told in April how parents in Glasgow, Fife and SBC areas had raised concerns around screen time and privacy relating to Sumdog. SBC parents said they have refused to pay up for the app. Mr McGhee, who was a maths and computing teacher, said: “I am a skeptic when it comes to some of the digital solutions that people talk about. “For two years, I was responsible for the buying in of programs and applications obligations for the local authority, and I had rep after rep coming in, and was unimpressed by many of them. “In some cases, you can do the work on paper as well as you can on the app - you’re just moving the teacher away from the child and the child is sitting in their own wee place with nobody around them. “That's no way teach. You teach socially.” The education director added: “The gamification of education is wrong - we’re not about giving children dopamine hits.” Asked specifically about Sumdog, an app designed to use games to help children learn maths skills, Mr McGhee said: “I binned it. I've stopped the contract payment.” A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council added that individual schools may continue to use Sumdog should the headteacher choose to do so. Other maths apps - such as Magma Maths - are used in Glasgow schools but Mr McGhee said these are chosen because they “put the teacher in charge”. READ MORE:Children as young as 7 'can access porn' on Scottish council-issued iPads in Glasgow and Borders Tom Owen, Vice President of Sumdog, said its teacher tools had been widely used in Glasgow schools to support “meaningful insight and information”. Mr Owen added: “Sumdog is independently proven to deliver statistically significant attainment gains for all pupils, with the strongest progress coming for ASN and those with lower-attainment. “We've recently been shortlisted in the BESA 2026 Awards for the Evidence and Impact Award in recognition of this. “Since 2010, we have proudly supported schools and pupils in Glasgow and across Scotland, and we will continue to do so in the future.” Harry Amies, of the parents campaign group Unplug.Scot, welcomed the move by Glasgow City Council, calling it “truly fantastic”. Mr Amies added that there must be a wholesale reassessment of Ed Tech at a national level. READ MORE:‘Child abuse on a national scale’ - are school iPads really safe for pupils? Parent Sarah Duffield told The Scotsman last month of her concerns about Sumdog use in her five-year-old daughter’s SBC school. She said just this week the parent council was asked to fund Sumdog from parent contributions and fund-raising but said no. Mrs Duffield said: “It is hugely significant that Glasgow’s own director of education has looked at Sumdog clearly and decided to intervene. “Those concerns reinforce exactly what parents in the Borders have been raising, but so far SBC is rejecting or ignoring concerns that gamified learning apps which appear to reward screen engagement, rather than genuine understanding, are really damaging and move teachers further away from the child rather than supporting good teaching. “If Glasgow can pause and reassess, Scottish Borders Council can too.” A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “Schools and local authorities regularly review the digital tools and resources used to support learning and teaching to ensure they continue to meet educational priorities, provide value for money, and align with curriculum and data protection requirements. “While some authorities may choose to discontinue particular platforms, decisions about learning and teaching resources are often made at school level based on the needs of learners and the professional judgement of staff. “Schools retain decision making over aspects of their budgets and may choose to purchase additional resources and tools which they consider appropriate to support learning. In some cases, parent councils may also choose to support schools through fundraising or voluntary contributions towards enhanced learning resources, including digital platforms. “Digital numeracy tools such as Sumdog can provide valuable opportunities for practice, engagement and formative assessment, particularly when used alongside high-quality teaching and broader curricular approaches. However, schools will continue to consider a range of available resources to ensure they are meeting the diverse needs of children and young people. “Any decisions relating to procurement or renewal of digital platforms are taken in line with local authority financial regulations, procurement guidance, and educational priorities.” Get our revamped Steamie newsletter