Prompted by strong community and staff support, Aquinas College will next year become a phone-free environment for students in years 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Senior students will still have access to their devices during school hours but they must be switched off and stored during lessons.

The new policy (attached below) is expected to have learning, physical and social benefits for students.

Principal Matt Dalton announced the new policy at a special assembly on Monday, noting the strong support from parents and staff. Student backing was mixed across year levels but yielded a greater level of support for a phone-free environment than expected.

A reasonable proportion of parents surveyed advocated for a whole-school ban. While this is not being discounted in the future, it is not being currently considered.

“This is a polarising topic, but I remain steadfast in my belief that older students - who hopefully will develop better habits through this change over time - need to be supported to demonstrate maturity and exercise good choices with their technology,” Mr Dalton noted.

Highlights of the new mobile phone policy include: 

Middle School Students (Years 7-10):

Are not permitted to use their phones at school between 8.30 a.m. and 3.20 p.m. They are strongly discouraged to bring phones to school but if they do, the devices must be switched off and stored in their bag.

Smart-enabled wearables such as smartwatches are included in the policy change. The devices must not receive notifications at school during the specified school hours.

Senior Students (Years 11-13):

During lessons, phones must be switched off and stored in their bags or the mobile phone box in each classroom. Phones may be used in class to enhance learning at the teacher’s discretion.

The policy will be reviewed in Term 3 next year.