NSW Government reviewing whether to ban devices in schools
NSW will look to a French schoolyard ban on mobile phones as it considers age restrictions on smart phones, iPads and even digital watches in the classroom, as part of a landmark review. Should devices be banned? VOTE IN OUR POLL.
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NSW will look to a French schoolyard ban on mobile phones as it considers age restrictions on smart phones, iPads and even digital watches in the classroom, as part of a landmark review.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the French phone ban for children younger than 15, which began this week, will be among a raft of considerations as the state looks at the impact that unlimited access to the technology has on children.
The review will consider various models of smart phone management for children, including blanket bans, technology-free days, time limitations such as 15-minute blocks for phone use as well as the age limitations.
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The terms of reference for the NSW review of children using mobile digital devices will be released today.
It will consider the link between the digital devices and cyber bullying, sexting and access to online harm.
Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, who is conducting the review, said he intends to provide recommendations to the government by the end of the year.
Dr Carr-Gregg said many schools were already managing the problem in their own way but there was no evidence base to guide their decisions to determine what was best.
As well as France, Dr Carr-Gregg said he would look to Albania where a ban is already in place.
“There are so many non-evidence-based policies in place, we need to bring some science to this,” he said.
“We have to weigh up the balance between the risks and benefits of smart phones.”
IPSOS will conduct the stakeholder consultation, which will include widespread interviews of students, parents and teachers.
The Daily Telegraph revealed in June that the suicide of young Northern Territory student Dolly Everett deeply concerned NSW authorities, who believed the issue of cyber bullying needed to be tackled with a large-scale review of smart phone use.
Education Minister Rob Stokes came up with the idea for the review.
He said yesterday children needed to be taught how to use technology properly, like being “taught how to drive a car”.
“Parents and schools rightly set guidelines on continuingly evolving technology that didn’t even exist a decade ago,” he said.
“We want to make sure we have the best information available to help set those guidelines.”
He said parents often faced conflicting messages regarding technology use for children. The review would be used to teach both parents and schools the best messages to pass on to children, Mr Stokes said.