Qld schools facing mobile phone bans, as results show students become more engaged and sociable

The principal of Queensland’s first school to blanket ban mobile phones has revealed the stunning changes she’s witnessed in her students.

One of Queensland’s first state school principals to introduce a blanket mobile phone ban says she has no regrets about the decision as its made her students more engaged and sociable.

Corinda State High School principal Helen Jamieson banned mobile phones from the first to last bell in 2019 after extensive consultation and planning.

Prior to implementing the ban, Ms Jamieson said students would be glued to their devices, using them inappropriately and generally being distracted by them.

At Corinda, which has cohort of about 2000, students place their phones into a personal pouch which gets magnetically locked while they’re on school grounds.

Principal Helen Jamieson with the YONDR phone locking pouch that’s been successfully rolled out at Corinda State High School. Picture: Liam Kidston

It comes as the state government faces increasing pressure to implement a universal mobile phone ban in all public schools following scrutiny from experts.

New South Wales is set to introduce a ban in term 4, leaving Queensland as the only state without a blanket ban with the decision instead left in principals’ hands.

Ms Jamieson, Corinda’s principal since 2007, said she “absolutely” would encourage other schools to adopt the pouch system or a similar ban.

She said sheer distraction and privacy issues had been the biggest reasons why the ban was put in place.

“We had a lot of issues that would bubble over,” Ms Jamieson said.

“Students taking photos of one another and uploading them. Lots of issues over privacy breaches, photos published without permission which was distressing on some students.

“You’d have students seeking out quiet spaces like toilets to use their phones, it was pretty detrimental.”

Ms Jamieson said the ban had led to students interacting with one another and socialising in the flesh as they once did before smart phones exploded.

“When you walk around at lunch the students are all interacting. Playing sport, the library is full, kids playing chess, Lego, games, you name it,” Ms Jamieson said.

“They’re busy. They’re happy, interacting.”

Students Mia Ferguson, Fletcher Doyle, and Genevieve McNie at Corinda State High School where they are using YONDR phone locking pouches. Picture: Liam Kidston

Corinda students can be subject to random pouch searches and, if caught cheating the system must surrender their phone to the principal’s office every day for a month.

Ms Jamieson said some students did attempt to trick the pouches by placing calculators in them while some had been busted with burner phones.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week revealed she was open to a ban but called for a nationally consistent approach.

Another Brisbane principal, who asked not to be named, said support from the state government to prevent phone use in classrooms would be helpful.

“Mobile phone storage in classrooms, so students can place the device in the storage on the way in and grab it on the way out would be welcomed in most schools I suspect,” the principal said.

“(But) It’s more about a conversation with students about the responsible use of the device and getting your community onside to ensure they support you in keeping the phone at home if it’s being used at school.”

However, the principal shot down suggestions that a mobile phone ban would cut out cyber bullying, saying the majority of it happened after hours at home.

“Parents calling for schools to ban phones is hypocrisy at its finest, given that the majority of a student’s six hours a day screen time is at night in their bedtime,” they said.

“95 per cent of cyber bullying we deal with in schools starts on weekends and evenings. Maybe the ban should start at home.”

The principal liked the debate to schools banning junk food in tuck shops due to childhood obesity only for parents to go to drive-through fast food restaurants on the way home from school.

Originally published as Qld schools facing mobile phone bans, as results show students become more engaged and sociable