Technology experts say a blanket ban on mobile phones in Gold Coast state high schools isn’t the answer, parents must step up
Fierce debate has erupted over the use of mobile phones in Gold Coast’s state high schools — but not everyone is agrees on the solution
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FIERCE debate has erupted over the use of mobile phones in Gold Coast’s state high schools — but not everyone is convinced a blanket ban is the answer.
Dr Kathryn Modecki, a senior lecturer at Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology, said parents needed to play a larger role in educating children on having a “balanced diet” in regards to phone usage.
The Bulletin this week reported that some students were using phones to hot spot laptops to watch pornography in class, and that video footage of teachers was being used to make “embarrassing” Tik Tok videos.
“I don’t think they (phones) should be in class on their phones, but rigorous studies out of the US have proven that banning them doesn’t work,” said Dr Modecki. “It’s about moderation and encouraging students to use their phones responsibly.
REVEALED – YOUR COAST SCHOOL’S MOBILE PHONE POLICY
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“Importantly, for some kids who struggle socially, their phones are how they interact with others and taking this away is of no benefit.”
Professor Marilyn Campbell, from Queensland University of Technology, said there would always be children that did the wrong thing, whether it was refusing to wear a helmet on a bike or searching up pornography at school.
“There are kids who are going to take anything we give them and do the wrong thing, so why would you ban something? Also, imagine the consequences for parents if we banned phones at schools, the minute they arrived home they’d be straight on social media.
“We’ve got to be able to teach children to have a moral compass. Banning phones in schools is just simplistic, authoritarian and totally unnecessary.
“Sadly, quite a few parents already think schools should raise their children.”
However, Tamborine Mountain State High School principal Tracey Brose said a blanket ban had resulted in improved social skills and less bullying.
“This policy has been in place in our school for the past 20 years. Our students hand mobile phones into a purpose-built, mobile phone storage room which is locked and under camera surveillance upon arrival at school,” she said.
“Students receive their phones back at 3.05pm when the day finishes. Every student is issued with mobile phone padded storage bags to store their phone in this room.
“Our parent body and student body certainly see the benefits in this approach and it has worked well for our community. We see increased benefits in reduced bullying, increased social skills and connections and improved relationships as well as an improved focus on learning.”
Queensland Teachers Union’s Gold Coast organiser Jodie McFadden said mobile phones policies should be a school-based decision made in consultation with parents and teachers.
She said usually parents and citizen’s associations (P & Cs) were how schools sought feedback, but that few parents were involved in these organisations.
Anecdotally, union members said that mobile phones were a distraction in class and that upholding the school’s policy took a lot of their time, she said.
She noted that some Gold Coast schools were introducing phone-free zones for Years 7-9 as a way of incrementally changing existing mobile phone cultures.
Parker Simmonds Solicitors litigation director Bruce Simmonds said it was time Queensland matched the mobile phone bans in place at schools in other states.
“Online social media platforms generating millions in profits were benefiting from a technology that can exploit and prey on children,” he said.
“The news that kids are using their mobiles at school to access pornography or make Tik Tok videos to diminish their teachers only makes the risk of allowing mobiles at school worse.”
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MOBILE phones in some Gold Coast public high schools are being used to record embarrassing Tik Tok videos of teachers and to hot spot laptops so teens can access pornographic content.
A parent, who did not want to be named, said at his daughter’s high school kids were taking videos and photos of teachers and making them into Tik Toks “to take the p**s out of teachers”.
“You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff the kids get up to with their phones,” he said.
Another parent said her daughter, in Year 7, had seen boys in her classroom looking up “anime (animation) porn” videos.
She said they sat at the back of the room and instead of using the school’s Wi-Fi, they used their mobile phones to hot spot their laptops, to avoid detection by the school.
“I’m dead against mobile phones in schools, unless they’re needed for health or other essential reasons,” said the mother, who did not want to be identified.
“Kids just sit around at break time on their phones, it’s ridiculous, they should be making actual connections with their peers, doing sport or other activities.
“As for using phones to help with school work, why can’t they use their laptops? All of them come with cameras and if they need to look something up they have internet access.”
The Queensland government allows state high schools to make their own mobile phone policies in collaboration with its community.
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The Tasmanian, West Australian and Victorian governments have banned mobile phones in all state schools, and NSW and South Australia have banned them at public primary schools.
Foxwell State Secondary College principal Kym Amor said her school’s policy required students to secure phones in lockers from 8.45am-3pm.
“Our parents and students respectfully follow this policy, with the feedback being that the communication between students is much stronger and more positive, without the distraction of mobile phones,” she said.
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“Students and parents are satisfied that should any urgent communication need to occur during the school day, that procedures are in place to support this.
“Throughout our foundation year in 2020 and to date in 2021 we have not had to deal with significant breaches of this policy.”
Palm Beach-Currumbin State High principal Christopher Capra said students in Years 7, 8, and 9 were banned from using mobile phones inside school grounds.
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“Senior students are allowed to use mobile phones for educational purposes during class time, and within the expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct at all other times,” he said.
“Our senior students currently use their phones and the associated applications for a large range of learning purposes. As our school has been phasing out mobile phone use within the school grounds over time, the current policy is subject to yearly review with the school community.”
Education Minister Grace Grace said her government’s Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce looked at the issue of mobile phones in schools in 2018 and recommended schools should have the autonomy to determine student access to mobile phones and other personal devices.
“To date this year, I haven’t received any correspondence from stakeholders or community groups advocating for a widespread ban on devices in schools,” she said.
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