Victoria says it will stick with decisions being made by individual schools

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The New South Wales government has announced a comprehensive review of smartphone use in schools, but the Victorian government says it is unlikely to follow suit.

On Thursday the NSW education minister, Rob Stokes, said the review – to be headed by a child psychologist, Michael Carr-Gregg – would examine the prevalence and effect of technology in classrooms, and would consult parents, teachers and education groups.

It would try to find a balance of technology; smartphones are often used as an educational tool or, for some students, as their only experience with technology.

However, the Victorian education minister, James Merlino, suggested it was unlikely Victoria would do the same.

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“These are decisions made at a school level and most schools already have in place rules that prohibit phones being used during class time,” he said. “I think this is the best and common sense approach.”

The NSW review will consider potential measures including age restrictions for social media and mobile restrictions in primary schools, as well as assessing the prevalence of cyberbullying and the importance of students being contactable while travelling between school and home.

The review is expected to be completed in time for the new school year to start with fresh and up-to-date guidelines.

NSW education department guidelines now have dated references to computers and school property, and do not reflect today’s modern mobile technology.

Stokes said there needed to be better rules in place to ensure phones were not a distraction.

“While smartphones connect us to the world in ways never imagined just a decade ago, they raise issues that previous generations have not had to deal with,” he said.

“In the classroom and in the playground, smartphones provide opportunities for students and parents to stay connected, but can also create other problems.

“From screen time to cyberbullying and social media, smartphones have generated concerns for parents, teachers and students.”

The use of smartphones has proliferated in recent years, but there is a lack of data in Australia about the effect they have on children.

A Finnish education expert, Pasi Sahlberg, told Fairfax last month that phone-related distraction was partly behind Australia and other countries’ slides down world education ranks.

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This week the UK’s culture secretary said he thought mobiles should be banned in schools, and France said it would enforce a ban during school hours from September.

Steve Jobs, the late founder of Apple, said in 2010 that he would not allow his children to use the iPad in his home.

Bill Gates has also spoken about not allowing his children to own mobile phones until they were 14.

The chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, welcomed the sector-wide review, and said policies in Catholic schools were determined individually.

“We support principal autonomy and therefore provide guidelines rather than set any blanket policy across all Catholic schools,” McInerny said.

“Some Catholic schools have already restricted students from using mobile phones and similar devices during the school day and have asked parents to support their policy by avoiding contact with their children by phone while they’re at school, except in emergencies.

“Other Catholic schools have embraced the technology and incorporated it into their teaching and learning strategies, while also establishing management requirements for personal use of phones.”