'Food for thought'

With the Victorian Government’s announcement that phones would be banned in all schools from Term 1, 2020, the issue is back in the media in a big way.  In late June, Victoria followed France in announcing a ban on mobile phones in both primary and secondary state schools from 2020, and there is pressure for the rest of the states and territories to follow.  Debates about the best way to manage mobile phones at school in a digital age are also underway in Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.  In a recently conducted survey of more than 2000 adults, nearly 80% supported the ban, despite most feeling positively towards the use of digital technology in schools generally. 

Banning phones to improve learning outcomes

The rationale for banning phones in Victorian schools is that it will help reduce distraction, tackle cyberbullying and improve learning outcomes for students. These are all issues that teachers, parents, and the wider community want tackled.   Research suggests half of Australian children have been cyberbullied.  The problem seems overwhelming in scale and in this context, it comes as no surprise that the call for a mobile phone ban is well supported.

Here in New Zealand, a secondary school in Auckland has introduced a ban for it's Year 7 to Year 10 students.  No cellphones, no headphones and no laptops except for classwork.  You might expect rules like that to go down badly with a group of teenagers, but students at Auckland's Diocesan School for Girls are happy with the new policy.

"Cutting down on 'phone time' has reduced the social media pressures to look good or gain followers", Year 10 student Holly Mulligan said.  "With everyone on their phones at lunchtime, it used to be easy to feel left out", she said - "but now, everyone's more inclusive".

The school brought in the policy for its Year 7 to 10 students earlier this year, with the aim of alleviating some of the 'distraction and anxiety' that comes with social media.

"The students have been 'given permission' to act their age and enjoy their lunchtimes without obsessing over chats, internet content and social media posts", Year 7 Dean Neil Cheetham said.

While the ban wasn't a direct response to bullying, he said there had been a drop in issues to do with inappropriate online behaviour since it came in.

It's not all bad - embracing mobile learning

Not everyone agrees that a blanket ban on cellphones in schools is the way forward.  Neil Selwyn, Distinguished Research Professor of Monash University, says an analysis of the evidence shows the realities of smartphone use in the classroom to be ‘complex and decidedly messy’.  He argues that while the ban might seem like a sensible approach to the above issues, there is more to think about.  Among the problems with instituting a blanket ban, most often cited are the difficulties teachers would face in policing such a rule, the benefits of embracing m-Learning or mobile learning, and that banning phones would be ineffectual in combating cyberbullying, given it predominantly occurs outside of school hours.  

Some educators say that embracing m-Learning is a way to bridge the gap between more traditional education and the way teens are interacting with the world around them.  It is thought that when educators build on the way students already use technology outside of the classroom to help them learn in the classroom, there is the potential for mobile phones to be an asset. Other positive, anecdotal reports tell of students using their phones to Live Stream classes for sick classmates.  

When quizzed about their stance on having their phone at school, a number of students commented that having their phone with them at school gives them a sense of security, in that they are able to remain in immediate contact with their parents or guardian or a supportive friend if need be.

Where to from here?

Whether for or against, many parents and community members are joining education researchers in calling for better education and strategies around the use of technology and methods to combat distraction in classrooms as well as cyberbullying.  Balancing the pressures of today’s digital environment with the academic and wellbeing of students is a challenge we will need to continue to tackle together.