Mobile phones banned across NSW high schools

By ABHA HAVAL

The Minns government has followed through on an election promise to ban the use of mobile phones in NSW public high schools from Term 4 2023.

The NSW government will consult with schools on options to implement the ban while maintaining caution that exceptions be made for students with disabilities and health problems. The ban will be in place during school hours, while students will be allowed to carry their phones travelling to and from school.

Over the past decade, education outcomes have been in decline. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) rankings have fallen significantly since 2006.

Labor aims to conduct a review into the impact of technology on young people and children to develop digital media literacy programs with a focus on online ethical behaviour, critical thinking skills and data privacy.

Several high schools in NSW have already banned the use of mobile phones in schools by putting them in lockers, bags, lockable pouches, or handing them over at the beginning of the school.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Deputy Premier Prue Car visited the Condell Park High School where the ban on mobile phones has been in place for the last 16 years.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said that the mobile phone ban will be implemented using “common sense”, and will include consultation with experts.

“It will affect 400 schools across the state. Over 320,000 students will be caught up in this ban. I believe that it’s necessary when you look at other states across Australia that have implemented a similar ban,” Minns said.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said, “A blanket ban in high schools will create a level playing field, reduce distractions, help address cyberbullying issues, and improve student learning outcomes.

“We know that parents across the state are concerned about the impact that devices like smartphones are having on their kids’ learning and mental health”.

Experts weigh in

While the NSW government announced a ban on mobile phones in schools, experts say the ban will not affect the learning process and academic results.

Dr Joanne Orlando, a digital expert at the University of Western Sydney told The Guardian that she is sceptical over the ban. Dr Orlando said that current research does not support that phone bans lead to academic improvement in schools.

By far, parents comments on Chris Minns’ tweet are against banning mobile phones. https://t.co/yqGT77lRMl

— Dr Joanne Orlando (@JoanneOrlando) April 3, 2023

“We need to think about how we teach the right habits and help young people to be able to use them in a productive way for their learning and work,” Orlando said in a Guardian article.

A Swedish study published in 2020 found no improvements in the results of high school students after a year of ban on mobile phones while it is suggested that there is little to no evidence that such bans will reduce cyberbullying, continuing it to be more prevalent in person than online.

Considering that the promise to implement the ban was achievable, several high schools across the state will need time to update their school systems.