Experts demand Qld bans mobile phones at school

Leading experts have joined forces to implore Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace to ban mobile phone use in schools, saying it should have happened years ago. VOTE IN POLL

Some of the nation’s leading experts in child behaviour have joined forces to implore Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace to ban mobile phone use in schools.

Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg and cyber safety expert Susan McLean penned a letter urging Ms Grace to bring Queensland schools into line with the rest of Australia and implement a ban on the personal use of mobile phones during the school day.

Former chair of the Queensland anti-cyber-bullying task force Madonna King, along with Dr Justin Coulson and author Rebecca Sparrow, have also written to Ms Grace urging the government to follow the rest of the country in banning phones from schools.

Education Minister Grace Grace and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Grace launched a statewide survey on the impact of mobiles in schools following a Courier-Mail story last month in which Ms King said she would now “fight like hell” to impose a ban, with the education minister using a five-year-old report to justify leaving it up to individual schools to decide whether they implemented a ban.

Dr Carr-Gregg said he was puzzled as to why Ms Grace had not banned phones in schools.

“I’ve discussed this with the minister and she believes it should be left up to the individual principals in consultation with the community – no other Labor minister of education came to that conclusion,” he told The Courier-Mail.

“All the evidence suggests banning phones has an increase in academic performance and decrease in distraction.”

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said the ban was long overdue. Picture: Supplied

He said the ban should have happened five years ago.

“To me there’s a crisis with adolescent mental health in Australia … we should be doing everything in our power to create a safe environment in which to learn,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

“She will be held accountable at the next election for her decision.”

Ms McLean told The Courier-Mail there needed to be consistency across the states.

“Child safety should never be put in the too-hard basket because it’s not,” she said.

“It makes no sense, Queensland is basically saying we are right and everyone else is wrong.

“That’s not the case.”

In her letter to the minister Ms King implored the government to ban phones.

“At the moment, principals have the discretion to ban phones or limit their use. But many say that is difficult, because the government is allowing their use,” she wrote.

“By flipping that situation – banning phones but allowing principals the discretion to use them in specific circumstances – you will make a significant difference to our children in terms of their academic focus, social cohesion and mental wellbeing.”

Madonna King.

Ms Grace said the statewide survey of the impact of mobile phones in schools remained under way and would be completed at the end of June, in time for a national meeting of education ministers.

She confirmed she had met with a group of student leaders on Friday and the issue of phone bans had been discussed, including that devices were largely banned in school though sometimes there was a need for them as part of the learning day.

“They also raised iPads, or laptops, and the smart watches, where do they fit in to the whole issue of banning mobile phones because the watches are just as disruptive as a mobile phones,” Ms Grace said.

Originally published as Experts demand Qld bans mobile phones at school