Cellphones go silent in secondary schools

A cellphone ban in secondary schools came into force yesterday, but many schools in the Wellington region have already answered the call.

The new regulations required schools to make sure students do not use cellphones while at school, including during lunch time and breaks. Some schools already had bans in place.

Wairarapa’s largest secondary school implemented a ban at the beginning of last year resulting in fewer distractions, the smoother running of classes, and less cyber-bullying.

Wairarapa College principal Matt White said it was one of the most positive changes they had seen in the school in recent years with students and staff comfortable with the new regime.

White said students handled the change well with few instances of confiscation needed to enforce the ban.

Post Primary Teachers’ Association Wellington regional chair Kevin Greig, who is a teacher at Aotea College, said schools had not been given enough guidance on how to implement the ban.

“They create a policy but they don’t back it up with any procedural outcomes. They don’t tell us how we are supposed to do it.”

Greig said he confiscated two cellphones yesterday, which students’ families could get back through the leadership staff.

Onslow College in Johnsonville decided to implement a ban at the beginning of the year as they wanted to start the year with new rules in place. Principal Sheena Millar said they had been “pleasantly surprised” by how well it had played out.

“We‘re definitely seeing more interactions between students at interval and lunch time. More kids on the sports fields and even more kids reading books in the library.”

Millar said because the “phones away for the day’’ policy was mandated by the Government, there seemed to be less questioning by students and whānau about why it was in place.

Wellington High School principal Dominic Killalea didn’t think a Government intervention was necessary, because schools could manage their own policies around cellphone use.

He also wondered whether there would be research done to see if the ban had a positive impact on educational outcomes.

Rongotai College trialled a ban with Year 9 and 10 students from the start of November 2023 and began 2024 with a ban in place for all year levels. “It seems to be working well,” principal Kevin Carter said.

Ministry of Education guidelines allowed students with special requirements to use their devices during school time.