news
North Shore Mums CEO Rachel Chappell . Photo : Supplied
Play time over screen time
School mobile phone bans reignite debate .
By Eleanor Campbell
Elite Sydney private school SCEGGS Darlinghurst recently became the latest to implement a total mobile phone ban for its students , igniting a discussion around technology ’ s impact on student academic performance and wellbeing .
This came weeks after north-Sydney ’ s Shore School banned personal laptops during class time due to concerns over “ pornography and gambling ”.
More recently , Billabong High School in Culcairn NSW initiated a ban of phones on school grounds over concerns around TikTok videos being used to “ harass , intimidate and embarrass ” others .
Rachel Chappell , CEO of North Shore Mums , is pushing for the state government to introduce a policy to ban mobile phones in public high schools during recess and lunch .
Her Change . org petition has garnered more than 20,000 signatures , which she says grew from parents ’ concerns around their children ’ s ability to socialise during school time .
“ Kids aren ’ t connecting at lunch , they ’ re not talking , they ’ re not playing basketball . They ’ re sitting around in groups on their phones ,” Chappell told Education Review . “ Often these high school kids are on laptops or iPads during the school day for educational purposes , so they need a break from screens .
“ I ’ m not an expert in wellbeing , but as a parent I know that they need to be chatting with friends and making those connections .”
In 2020 , the state education department conducted a review into the noneducational use of mobile devices in NSW schools , which resulted in the release of a new digital technology policy .
Under the rule , primary school students must not use digital devices during class , or at recess and lunch , unless approved by a principal or teacher .
Rachel said that many teachers have commented in favour of the petition to have a similar ban placed in high schools .
“ I think some schools might be put off and think ‘ oh , how are we going to police that ?’ And it ’ s going to cause all these extra issues , or extra work for the teachers ,” she says .
“ But I think ultimately it ’ s going to make the teachers ’ jobs easier because they ’ re going to have more receptive students .”
Professor Marilyn Campbell from Queensland University of Technology said there is not enough research to determine whether taking teenagers ’ phones away would improve their wellbeing and school performance .
“ I can ’ t see that banning mobile phones for six hours a day , while a child ’ s at school , but not at any other time is going
Kids aren ’ t connecting at lunch , they ’ re not talking .
to have any either positive or negative consequences for children ,” she says .
“ There ’ s studies that show that for some children constant use of mobile phones is detrimental , and for some with mental health problems it ’ s beneficial .”
According to Campbell , recent studies have indicated that it ’ s not the time spent on the mobile phone that has an impact on the child , it ’ s what they do on their phones and when .
She says the issue is complex and individualised , and educational policy passed without sufficient evidence could have “ unintended harmful consequences ”.
“ People have interviewed teachers in the US and they say phones help with connection and learning , and others say it promotes cyberbullying and leads to anxiety ,” she says .
“ There ’ s also been a history in the last 20 years of countries banning mobile phones and rescinding the ban because it was too hard to police .
“ But there have been absolutely no studies that have looked at those nuanced situations .” ■ educationreview . com . au | 3