Public high schools across the Hunter joined a state-wide ban on mobile phones this week.

As students returned from their September school holidays on Monday, they were welcomed with the news they must have their mobile phones turned off and out of sight during the school day.

The ban introduced from the start of Term 4 comes after consultation with teachers, students and parents throughout NSW.

The ban will apply during class, recess and at lunch.  

Students will still be permitted to carry a phone while travelling to and from school. 

The NSW Department of Education offered schools several options for implementing the mobile phone ban, with most opting for zero or low-cost solutions, such as keeping phones in lockers or off and away. 

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car says switching off all mobile phones in all NSW public high schools during the school day – including at recess and lunch, will help students learn better. 

“This ban creates a level playing field across all NSW public schools and means students can focus on what’s most important – learning in the classroom,” she said. 

“It will help to provide more productive classrooms for students and teachers, reducing opportunities for distraction and cyberbullying.   

“What we’ve heard from schools that already have bans in place gives me real confidence that this commonsense measure will improve student learning and social development outcomes.” 

Options for schools include: 

• Off and away: Phones are ‘off and away’ in classrooms (typically kept in the student’s school bag). Phones are not used for the duration of the school day. 
• Phones in lockers: Students do not carry the phones with them; they must be kept in a locker for the whole school day. 
• Locked phone pouch: Students place their phone in a magnetically locked pouch and are unable to use their phone. Pouches are magnetically unlocked at the end of the school day. 
• Phones collected at the front office: Students deposit their phone at the school’s front office at the start of the school day and collect it at the day’s end (or when leaving the school premises). 

Schools will determine how they enforce the ban and respond to any breaches. 

Principals and teachers can authorise the use of mobile phones for educational purposes, or as part of a reasonable adjustment for student learning and wellbeing – such as monitoring blood sugar levels for students with diabetes.

For more education stories like this:

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• Hunter schools face teacher shortage
• fee relief, extended hours, NSW preschool plan

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