Eye on phone ban at schools

State to watch results of NSW action

THE Tasmanian Government will closely monitor a ban on mobile phones being introduced across NSW primary schools ahead of deciding future policy on the issue.

NSW school teachers will be responsible for policing the ban, which will see phones either locked away for the school day or kept in students’ bags.

The ban, from first term next year, follows an independent review which found mobile phones had resulted in higher rates of cyber-bullying, inattentiveness and sharing of explicit images.

The Tasmanian Education Department said the NSW move could influence future mobile phone policies for schools in the state.

“The Department of Edu- cation will continue to liaise with the Department of Education in NSW regarding its review and awaits the report and findings with interest, which will inform the department’s future policy position,” a spokesman said.

Tasmanian Principals’ Association president Malcolm Elliott said an outright ban was a “very strong step”, but it was worthy of consideration.

He said technology had its place in learning, but there was no doubt contemporary devices were also problematic.

“It’s definitely worth discussing, so we as a society can come to some agreement about it.”

He said parents and the community also had a responsibility to monitor the use of technology. “There are children being allowed access to so- cial media platforms who don’t have the training and the decision-making capacity to manage the technology or the social relationships that come with them.”

He said the risk of exposing children to online predators was especially concerning.

Tasmanian Catholic Schools Parents Council executive officer Greg Boon said it was clear that increasing numbers of children in upper primary were bringing phones to school. But he said most primary schools generally had enough discipline to deal with the technology.

Tasmanian Labor education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said some schools already had bans, as each school adopted its own policy.

High schools will be exempt from the NSW phone ban.