Trinity Grammar rings in changes on mobile phones after success of trial ban

Victorian schools are all set to ban phones during the school day. But plenty have already given the mobile the boot — and for top Kew school Trinity Grammar, there were a few surprising benefits.

Top private school Trinity Grammar is pushing ahead with a permanent mobile phone ban, despite 51 per cent of year 7 to 12 boys being unhappy that they have to put their phones in their lockers.

Headmaster Phil De Young said while the students were, not unexpectedly, “somewhat less affirming” of the ban, the trial had been a great success.

Teachers and parents overwhelmingly supported the ban and 47 per cent of Year 12 boys conceded that the phone ban, being tested over two terms, has improved social interaction among students.

“Improving social interaction was the major reason we introduced the ban,” Mr De Young said.

When introducing the trial, he said many boys spent spare moments playing Fortnite instead of speaking with each other.

After two terms, Mr De Young said parents, teachers and students at the upmarket Kew school were asked to complete a non-compulsory survey.

Of the staff completing the survey, 94 per cent believed the absence of phones had helped students to avoid distractions during the day and 86 per cent of parents thought it was a positive move.

The state government has announced a ban on mobile phones, effective next year in government schools, but many schools are already working out protocols around use with a range of measures to cut down reliance on phones. Some private schools say they will not ban phones.

Mr De Young said he was pleased the year 12 boys acknowledged the trial had helped them change behaviours.

“Unsurprisingly, students were somewhat less affirming of the policy. However, there were a number of interesting responses in the data, most notably from some of our oldest students,” he said.

“In the year 12 cohort, half of the students agreed that the policy had helped them to avoid distractions during the school day.”

Trinity Grammar teachers and parents have backed the mobile phone ban.

One Trinity Grammar student said he thought the ban had made the students “more focused and more on task”.

“It makes them more sociable too. It has helped a lot of people even though they might not notice it,” the student said.

Another said: “It’s a good idea but having them completely banned prevents things like messages from parents”.

Some were less receptive: “Children these days are phone addicts and there’s nothing we can do to stop them”.

Mr De Young said he made a point role modelling behaviour by not carrying his mobile around the school, and while some opponents suggested people would not be contactable in an emergency, that had not been the case.

He said feedback revealed the absence of phones had taken the pressure off the students to be “live” and helped them to relax and be present at school.

Mr De Young said 78 per cent of parents believed it had helped their sons engage more fully in learning.

Some parents weren’t sure, saying it was hard to gauge the true impact as they were not at school to see it.

When the ban started, he said they were confiscating up to 12 phones some days. Boys had to collect them at the office at the end of the day. There were a few repeat offenders who had their phones confiscated overnight, but the ban was working well.

Mr De Young said a few students claimed that while they were not using their phone during recess and lunch they were using it more after school, arguing it displaced use. However, parents did not support the theory that the phone ban had led to extra use after hours.

He said other students argued that the phone ban would not prepare them for work.

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“I would say that we are teaching the boys to manage use of their mobile phone,” he said.

“We think as adults we should be helping the kids learn to live without a mobile phone in their possession all the time.”

He conceded a few kids might be trying to get around it, sneaking into the toilets to play Fortnite.

About 75 per cent of senior students, 10 per cent of parents and 50 per cent of staff did the survey.

“We would have been prepared to say it did not work but clearly it is working,” he said.

“I think we did not expect the boys to like it, particularly the younger boys, but we are seeing evidence that they are buying into it.”

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