Opinion: A ban on phones in schools would not stop the violence – it would make the problem harder to fix

Students should not be denied access to phones in situations where they may need to raise the alarm – and school is not always a safe place, writes Kathryn Bermingham.

The recent spate of violent incidents in South Australian schools has exposed a disturbing reality: School is not always a safe place.

At Golden Grove High School, things have gotten so bad that security guards and behavioural specialists have been brought in to ensure student safety. Despite the measures, videos of more fights surfaced online this week.

Fights in schools are nothing new. They were happening well before students were filming them.

But the prevalence of mobiles means bust-ups are now documented and, in some cases, widely circulated.

Though this raises concerns about the privacy of children in the videos, it also means the problem cannot be ignored. Video footage is evidence. The videos, distressing as some may be, highlight the schools and cohorts most affected by violence and bullying.

Mobile phones are already banned in government primary schools.

At a time when such incidents are concerningly commonplace, it does not make sense to press ahead with a blanket ban on the use of mobile phones in high schools. (They are already banned in government primary schools.) In 2019, while Labor was in opposition, it committed to “banning mobile phones from public school classrooms”.

“Technology is part of the future for all young people, but it is important to teach them how to manage the negative and take advantage of the benefits,” a policy document read.

“Learning to put the phone away is an important lesson.”

The state government says phones play a role in issues of cyber-bullying and bans have been successfully implemented in other jurisdictions.

All of that is true.

But student safety must be paramount, and a phone is an important consideration. It’s become instinctual to reach for a mobile when something goes wrong. Having one handy contributes to a sense of personal safety.

Students, especially those in environments that have proven dangerous, should not be denied access to phones in situations where they may need to raise the alarm.

Then there is the problem of enforcing a ban – a near-impossible task which would add to the workload of teachers who are already stretched and stressed.

South Australian Secondary Principals’ Association chief executive Jayne Heath told the Advertiser earlier this year education around proper use of social media, rather than phone bans, should be the priority.

Her view was individual schools, in conjunction with their governing councils, were best-placed to come up with policies that worked for its school community.

Setting guidelines for use of phones in schools is a challenge, but a blanket ban is not the answer.

A more nuanced approach is needed, and different rules may be suitable for different schools.

A ban would not stop the violence, but would make it harder to track, and create headaches for overworked teachers.