Students face suspension for using phones in schools
Students using their mobile phones or receiving smart watch notifications during the school day may be hit with detentions or even suspensions under a statewide ban due to kick in on the first day of term.
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Kids could face detention or even suspension if they flout a new mobile phone ban in schools.
With just 10 days until kids return to school and the ban kicks in, the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal some schools are preparing to take a hard- line approach.
Under the ban, all phones must be locked away for the duration of the school day and smart watch and tablet notifications switched off.
Penalties for not complying with the new rules will be left up to individual schools, and some are expected to take a “three-strikes-and-you’re out” approach where students would be given detention for a second offence and could be suspended on strike three.
Public primary and secondary schools across Victoria must enforce the government phone ban from January 29.
“From day one of this school year, students at all Victorian government schools will be required to switch off their mobile phones and securely store them from the first bell to last bell during each school day,” Education Minister James Merlino said yesterday.
“We know schools are embracing this new policy, which is evident in the way some schools introduced their phone ban last year.”
The ban was aimed at reducing distractions, tackling cyber bullying and improving the education of students, he said.
More than $12.4 million had been made available to schools to help them securely store student phones during the day, he said.
It is believed schools will develop their own Students Using Mobile Phones policies in line with the state government edict, outlining their individual policing guidelines and punishment to be meted out to students.
“Schools will enforce the policy under their existing student engagement policies, for example, through detention or a loss of school-based privileges, where students fail to comply with the local school policy on mobile phones, including if they refuse to relinquish their phones to school staff when asked,” the Department of Education policy states.
Australian Principals Federation president Julie Podbury said the phone ban was broadly supported but school reception staff and leaders were expected to “wear the brunt” of the extra work that it involves.
“It’s just another thing that has to be done, which adds to the growing burden,” she said.
In primary schools, busy reception and administration staff are likely to be given the job of collecting students’ phones in the mornings and returning them at the end of the school day, she said.
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Exemptions from the ban would be considered for students who have special circumstances, including health problems, and if and when teachers allowed them to be used for particular classroom activities, Ms Podbury said.
Australian Education Union president Meredith Peace said the government had developed resources to help schools introduce the ban and most were well prepared for its implementation.
“But we’ll be watching it closely, especially in primary schools,” she said.
A review of the phone ban will be conducted at the end of this year