Parents demand mobile phones be banned in NSW high schools

Parents are begging for mobile phones to be banned in high schools, claiming their children are being distracted from learning and struggling to make friends. TAKE OUR POLL.

Desperate parents are urging NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to ban the “plague” of mobile phones in high schools, claiming their children are being distracted from learning and struggling to make friends.

In one case, a father said his son was refusing to go to school because his friends were no longer interested in “kicking a ball” or playing sport, while another mother blamed phones for her son finding it hard to make friends.

The letters, obtained by Labor, have been seized upon by NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns to push his election pledge for a blanket ban.

While phones are not allowed in primary schools, the NSW government leaves it up to individual high schools as to whether to ban the devices.

The correspondence includes one missive from a mother of four children aged between eight and 16, who wrote: “Children are being exposed to violent pornography, having social skills undeveloped due to limited non-screen social interaction, online bullying and the classroom environment disrupted due to mobile phones.

“The evidence is clear on how damaging this is to our children’s education.

“I encourage you to take a stand and implement a policy to support our teachers and students with this issue. It’s not going away.”

Parents say mobile phones in schools are preventing students from socialising with each other. Picture: iStock

Another mother wrote that phones had become “a plague” at her son’s high school, declaring it was impractical to ask children who had been glued to their screens during lockdown to wind back their use.

“I have a son who started year 7 this year and mobile phones are a plague,” she wrote.

“The school is doing its best to control usage … but mobile phones remain an issue.

“Our children need help!

“In my view, it would be a dereliction of duty from parents, educators and the education system to allow these phone, internet, game or, worse, porn addictions to develop.

“We must ALL act together to protect our younger generations.”

Tam, a mother-of-two, wrote in her letter that her son had come home from school complaining that all his friends were glued to their phones, and that he was struggling to make friends.

“I am appalled at how the teenagers are allowed to be on their phones all day at NSW public high schools. As parents, we need to be listened to.

“We taught our kids how to have healthy screen use and it has all gone out the window since starting high school.

“My son is complaining that he can’t make friends and he is distracted in class because his friends are all on their phones, group projects are awful because he is the only one paying attention to the project.

“I don’t know one parent who thinks this is a good idea.”

One concerned parent wrote to the NSW Department of Education in August questioning why phones were banned only in primary schools.

“We walk past the playground and every child is on a device,” the parent wrote.

“The evidence is clear and most private schools enforce a no-phone policy. Why are our primary schools phone-free and not our high schools?”

One desperate dad asked to meet with Ms Mitchell, writing in July that his son had started to refuse to attend school.

“We have a child who has started year 7 this year at his local high school,” he wrote.

“My child has gone from being extremely excited and passionate about being at school to last night begging my wife and I to stay home and not go to school.

“At lunch and recess, our child has confirmed, … instead of running around, playing or just simply having a chat, face-to-face is non-existent and that kids are now glued to their mobile phones either playing games, or more disturbing, watching videos on platforms like TikTok and or Snapchat that are extremely inappropriate and not age appropriate.

“Currently our child is getting rejected from other kids when asking if they want to play sport at lunch claiming ‘it’s boring’. Since when is kicking a ball, etc boring to 12-year-olds?”

The man said he and his wife were looking at private schools because they were worried about their son’s mental health, ability to make friends and learn.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.

The letters included one from a clinical psychologist, who declared phones a barrier to social connectedness, learning and play.

“The use of mobile phones during break times creates a barrier for social connectedness, learning of social skills, physical play and can ostracise those children that are already disconnected,” she wrote.

“There is absolutely NO single reason why a child needs to be able to access their phone during school hours.”

As of February 2020, the department released figures declaring 275 high schools had imposed full mobile phone restrictions, with the remainder 125 having a partial or no restriction.

Mr Minns said he shared the concerns of parents who were worried about the impact of phones and devices on their children and their learning.

Labor’s policy will mean no phones in the classroom or playground, with principals to decide whether to collect the devices or allow students to keep them in their bags, but turned off.

“It’s clear the Perrottet government is not listening to parents who are increasingly concerned about their children using mobile phones in schools,” Mr Minns said.

“As a parent of three children myself, I share the concerns of parents worried about the impact of phones and devices on our kids and their learning.

“NSW Labor will restrict phone use in schools to help cut distraction, deal with cyber-bullying, and help improve student outcomes.”

Ms Mitchell said schools were already able to ban phones, and urged parents with concerns to contact the principal.

“I would encourage any parents who have concerns about their child’s device use to discuss it with their school principal,” she said.

“Under the current policy, schools are already able to put a phone ban in place in consultation with students, parents and staff.”

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