Western Australia bans mobile phones in all public schools

The ‘off and away’ policy is intended to cut bullying and encourage face-to-face conversation.

WA High school students from Years 7 to 12 must have their phones turned off during school hours and kept out of sight.

A mobile phone ban will be introduced in all West Australian public schools in a strict “off and away all day” policy intended to reduce cyber-bullying and encourage face-to-face conversation between students.

From 2020, the school hours’ ban will apply to public schools – primary and secondary – across the state. The WA move follows announcements in New South Wales and Victoria that mobile phone bans will take effect next year.

But the WA ban is tougher than NSW, where public high schools will have the choice to opt in when the ban is introduced, or decide to what extent they will allow phones to be used.

Premier Mark McGowan announced that his state’s no-phone policy will apply from the time students arrive at school until the end of the school day, including break times. It also restricts the use of smart watches, earbuds, tablets and headphones unless students are under the instruction of a teacher.

High school students must have their phones turned off during school hours and kept out of sight, while kindergarten and primary school students will not be allowed to take devices to school.

The “off and away all day” catchphrase used by Mr McGowan was first adopted by Ocean Reef Senior High School, which banned mobile phone use for its 1200 students in February 2018 after a year’s trial.

Principal Karon [Karon] Brookes says the school was responding to alarming trends among its pupils. “They were very distracted by their phones, and students often sat isolated at recess in the yard with their head down over their device. They felt tethered to it, and often it dictated their actions.”

She said students’ access to mobile phones saw them resort to parental ‘rescue’ if they forgot something at home. “It removed their independence and their ability to solve problems without ringing mum.”

“Most schools have a digital device policy, but we went the next step. We said no phones from the moment they step onto the school grounds to the end-of-school siren.”

“Remove the phone and people start talking to each other. The sound of talking in the school yard went up noticeably. And we put more interactive club activities in place for break times to replace the lack of phone use.”

Ms Brookes says minimal time is spent on controlling mobile phone use. “Teachers don’t have to say at every lesson ‘Turn your phone off.’ And our parents have been overwhelmingly positive. When at one stage I thought about being more lenient, they said ‘Don’t do it.’”

Education minister Sue Ellery says the only exceptions are if student needs to monitor a health condition, or if students are instructed to use their phones or devices for educational purposes.

“I am absolutely supportive of using technology as a tool for learning, and this policy doesn’t limit those opportunities,” she said.

Mr McGowan says the ban is a response to parents and teachers worried about the pressures on young people.

“While it is recognised that cyber-bullying mainly occurs outside school time, banning the use of mobile phones will reduce external issues being brought into a school via technology,” he said.