A total phone ban for students in Victorian public schools has been introduced, with the State Government employing one of the world’s strictest stances on mobiles in the classroom.
It will take effect at the beginning of term one in 2020, and will see students being made to turn off their phones and keep them in their lockers during school hours.
Announcing the new move, Education Minister James Merlino said the ban is designed to mitigate distractions and cyberbullying in the schoolyard.
“This will remove a major distraction from our classrooms, so that teachers can teach, and students can learn in a more focused, positive and supported environment,” Merlino said in a statement.
“Half of all young people have experienced cyberbullying. By banning mobiles we can stop it at the school gate.”
Merlino further said on Twitter he knew the announcement would not “be universally popular” however he believes “banning mobile phones at schools is the right thing to do.”
But what do teachers, those who will ultimately be the ones enforcing the new rule, think of this new ban?
Here are just seven teacher’s opinions on what the new phone ban means for them.
Amanda* – “Great idea in theory.”
I teach year six in NSW at an independent school.
Phone usage is becoming problematic in primary school. I once had a mother call her sons mobile so much in one day that I eventually picked it up and told her it was inappropriate. It was because her son had forgotten to take canteen money.
Top Comments
We banned all phones from 9am-4pm. Best decision ever. Students are more engaged in class, less distracted, no zombies in the corridors, less bullying and sexting. Students have to talk to each other at lunchtime and interact.
We had to confiscate a few in the first weeks but the kids realised we were serious and it hasn't been a problem.
Brilliant idea. Phones should not be being used during school hours by students. It adds to the cyber bullying issue.
I am a high school teacher in a regional school, policy consistency is great and phones can be distracting however so can laptops or even just a friend hair! I do feel that the real problem is that many classes are huge! anything over 30 students means that you need eyes in the back of your head - even with a class with whom respect has been built, there are still times when the adolescent world outside the classroom gets in. As a teacher I think it is time to address the elephant in the room - class sizes. Teachers find it hard to say this as we get accused of poor behaviour management but lets be honest 32/33/34 students in a room is too many, if the class was 26 then the ability of the teacher to cater for and engage all 26 is far greater.