DIVIDED ON PHONES
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan is wanting Queensland to have a ban on mobile phones in high school. I think mobile phones should not be banned in Queensland high schools. Young adults need to make their own choices. When you turn 18 you are expected to make right choices like how you behave and who you choose to be.
Students should be expected to be responsible with their mobile phone, as it is a privilege. However some young adults may not make the right decisions with their mobile phones, like being silly and bullying, so a consequence would be that their mobile phone would be taken away.
Mobile phones should not be banned in high schools in Queensland, so young adults are encouraged to make life decisions.
— Emily Edison, Year 6
I partly agree with the federal Education Minister Dan Tehan as phones are only a disturbance during class when the phones aren’t turned off, and definitely would not be a disturbance during lunch breaks.
The Queensland Government should invest in a controlled wi-fi network to limit the amount of inappropriate usage of phones and games, as well as cut down on cyberbullying. However, if phones are used inappropriately then the punishment would be that the phone would be confiscated from the start to the finish of the school day, possibly for a couple of school days. Mobile phones are handed in to the teacher, turned off, during class until the teacher allows them to use their phones for classwork, using apps such as calculator, dictionary and note-taking apps would be appropriate.
Mobile phones have evolved to be a part of everyday life, and should be available to students to use during lunches sensibly.
— Jack Smith, Year 6
The article “State not joining ban on mobiles at school” specifically states that high schools in Queensland should not be allowed phones. Just because New South Wales and Victoria have done it doesn’t mean Queensland has to.
High schools in Queensland are doing just fine having phones during lunchtimes. People in high schools should be old enough to make their own decisions and should be trusted to be responsible when using electronic devices. Teenagers in high school are nearly adults and soon will need to make choices for themselves. Encouraging them to make the right choices will help them in the long run. The Queensland Government should not give in to Victoria and New South Wales.
Kids in school can do research on phones to help them study. Have you ever had a question that a book can’t answer? But the internet on Wikipedia might have the answer and the only way to access that data is from an electronic device, as well kids will develop researching skills. But with the mobile phone ban presented by New South Wales and Victoria, they might never develop their useful research skills.
Even though there are many kids who are well behaved in schools, there are also ones who misbehave. Rules and guidelines are needed to follow and when one is broken there are still consequences. The Queensland Government doesn’t need to do the same thing that Victoria and New South Wales is doing. So keep up the great work, Queensland Government.
— Eryn Matters, Year 6
In reference to the article in the Townsville Bulletin on June 27: “State not joining ban on mobiles at school” I think mobile phone bans are a waste of time. Phone bans are a waste of time because people will find a loophole in the rules, creating that ban would create a fool of the law. If children are caught doing inappropriate things on the phones the phones should stay at the office for a month.
I agree with Education Minister Grace Grace that it is the school’s decision to make their own rules.
— Oliver Lynn Forrest, Year 6
In the article “State not joining ban on mobile at school” ( TB, 27/6) I agree with Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace that principals should make the decisions on whether or not phones are allowed.
Mobile phones can come in handy at school – children can look up some work and to help with study.
Teachers often tell the students to get out their phone so they can find the meaning for a word or if they don’t have a calculator the teacher says they can use their phone.
However, if mobile phones are used incorrectly they should be taken away from the students and if they keep using their phones incorrectly they should be banned.
Therefore, I agree with Minister Grace Grace in saying mobile phones should not be banned at state schools in this state.
— Ella Rucci, Year 6
I strongly agree with Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace who in the TB article, June 27, “State not joining ban on mobiles at schools” said the decision lies in school principals as to if phones are banned. Nevertheless, I think teens need to learn their phone is a privilege and they will need to be responsible. In class phones should only be used if the teachers asks a student to use it.
The era of technology is upon us and children need to be ready and responsible.
— Amaranta OG
We, as Queenslanders, should not ban mobile phones in state schools. There are plenty of solid rules around phones to stop cyberbullying so we don’t need phones to be banned altogether. There must be strict rules around phones to stop cyberbullying and being on social media at the wrong time.
Mobile phones can be very useful for many reasons, like research and STUDENTS, EMAIL YOUR LETTERS TO learning new things online. The high school I’m heading to next year allows phones at lunchtime but locked away in our lockers in class time. If you get caught once it is a warning but the second time the phone goes to the office until your parents pick it up.
Mobile phones can be used for contacting your parents after school to let them know where you are, such as if your bike breaks or you get hurt on the way home you could contact your parents to pick you up.
Therefore phones should not be banned in Queensland schools.
— Isaac Whelan, Year 6
I believe kids should be able to bring phones to high school and play them at lunch. In my opinion kids should be able to bring their phones to school but they have to be used in the right way. Sometimes it might be a really hot day or it might be raining and the kids can’t play and they can just sit down and play some games on their phone.
I know kids would like to bring their phones to school because I am a kid and I feel like kids should get the right to bring a phone to school.
After all kids should have the right to bring their phone to school. Phones can help to learn at school and I believe if they use them maturely and not in class time then that would be OK.
— Alex Arndt, Year 6
From an article in the Townsville Bulletin “State not joining on mobiles ban at school” I strongly disagree with the Education Minister Grace Grace who believes that mobiles shouldn’t be banned in Queensland.
In Queensland each high school and primary y school principal has s the right to ban mobiles s at any time. .
The high h school I’m going to allows students to o have mobiles on during lunches but as soon as the bell rings they have to go in your locker before going to class which is a great idea as students won’t be on their phones during class time.
I strongly believe mobiles should be banned during class time and allowed during lunch. I think Queensland should be different from NSW and Victoria with the principal deciding on the rules.
— Jobi Jackson, Year 6
On Thursday, June 27, in the Townsville Bulletin there was an article “State not joining ban on mobiles at schools” which suggests banning mobile phones at school. I understand where Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan is coming from, however, I thoroughly agree with Education Minister Grace Grace, whose perspective is that principals should decide the usage of phones at their schools. All the schools that I know of already have a partial ban on mobile phones. Phones are also useful if there is a need to quickly communicate to a caregiver or if a caregiver needs to contact the child.
I just honestly believe that there is no need to add a statewide ban on mobile phones, when there are already effective rules in use.
— Samuel Pankhurst, Year 6