Mobiles Off and Away, Post
Mobiles Off and Away
Mobile phones are banned across schools in Australia as of now, mid-2024.
There is an exception to this rule. Mobile phones can be taken out of the lockers for learning purposes under a teacher’s supervision.
Some claim the debate continues. Yet, recent evidence in Australia seems decisive: it’s a good policy.
Prof. Marilyn Campbell and Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth J. Edwards wrote a piece for The Conversation on 12 March 2024. They state that little research has been done around the world. Results for research so far say mobiles in schools are neutral in their effects on children. Probably research lags behind the pace of change. Link:
Phone Fad Rolled Out. Since 2000, mobile phones have come a long way. In April 2009, the reason children had a personal phone was to call parents and for safety reasons. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records that in 2009,
*31% of children aged 5 to 14 years had their own mobile phone,
*although it was 76% for children aged 12 to 14 years.
And in 2024, the top 5 uses of a smartphone are:
1. Internet search and browsing
2. Phone calls
3. Listening to music
4. Using social media apps
5. Sharing sending photos and videos
We know students use their mobiles for all five purposes above. What self-respecting, intelligent kid would not be distracted in school!
Change is Here. Take the state of South Australia. Mobile phones have been banned in schools there since mid-2023. The ban was phased in. In twelve months, the South Australia Department of Education reports an immediate drop in bad behaviour. This would include bullying, and rudeness to staff. Physical attacks have dropped 10%.
It reports a 44% drop in breaking of school rules generally.
The Department has collected feedback that the ban has wide support in school communities. Teachers have also noticed that students are more involved in physical activities and clubs during breaks. They see students going for walks together and doing real-world things.
Doctors in General Practice in New South Wales were surveyed in 2023. Over 75% said they support banning mobile phones in schools. They point to the negative impact on students’ developing brains. The areas that GPs cite range from mental and emotional wellbeing to social skills and academic performance.
Link: https://www.healthed.com.au/clinical_articles/gps-weigh-in-on-school-smart-phone-bans-2/
The technological progress is astounding!
It is good to know that Marilyn Campbell and Elizabeth Edwards intend to conduct research. It may well support the mobile phone policy now in place.
Some links to lesson packs and posts: Enquiry Learning Lacks Research, Post, Tutoring Primary Students Teacher Shortage 2023, Post “Encounter with Spies” Literacy Grade 6 “Adventures of Charles Darwin” Science Literacy Grade5-7 , Grattan Institute Education Nonsense, “Pet Day at School” Literacy Grade 1