More schools should bring in screen time limits like St Ignatius’ College | Clare Rowe

From Minecraft during breaks to digital worksheets in class – we’re teaching kids they can’t function without a screen in front of their face. But this principal is making a stand.

It’s been revealed children are spending more time on screens than parents might be aware. Picture: Dean Martin

The other night my seven-year-old told me he’d “built a whole castle” during school. For a split second I pictured cardboard boxes, glue, sticky tape, and a teacher who didn’t mind a bit of mess. Then he clarified: “On Minecraft.”

At school. In “spare time”.

I nearly fell off my chair.

Like most parents, I assumed there was some screen use in the classroom. What I didn’t realise was just how much. When I started asking questions, I discovered that for many primary-aged kids, the majority of their day is spent in front of a laptop or iPad. English, maths, science – it’s all delivered digitally.

And when there’s a gap in the timetable, those devices are still open, with children logging on to Minecraft, Roblox or some other pixelated escape. Even their “fruit break” time is spent staring at episodes of Bluey.

By the time the bell rings and they get home, they’re already primed for more of the same.

And we wonder why prising them off an iPad feels like a hostage negotiation.

This is not about demonising technology. I understand that screens are a part of modern education and that there are wonderful programs that enhance learning. But we’ve tipped into dangerous territory where digital devices dominate every part of the day.

Psychologist Clare Rowe wants kids to spend less time staring at screens.

St Ignatius' College principal Lauren Brooks is determined to cut the amount of time her students spend staring at a screen.

Parents are in the dark about it, and it’s shaping a generation that can’t imagine learning or playing without a screen in their face.

That’s why I cheered when I read about St Ignatius’ College in Adelaide. In 2026 they’re rolling out sweeping changes to limit device use. Children in Reception to year 3 will have almost no access to screens at school.

Years 4 to 6 will be capped at an hour of daily use.

Even in high school, devices will be absent for half the school day. This follows their “Tech- Smart Tuesdays” trial, where one day a week was dedicated to learning without Google, ChatGPT, or any other digital crutch.

Principal Lauren Brooks says it’s about nurturing creativity, critical thinking and balance – the very things that vanish when our kids spend the whole day staring at a screen.

It’s a bold move, and one that more schools should adopt. Because when you add it up, the average primary-aged child can easily clock six, seven, even eight hours of screen exposure between school and home.

■ MOST READ: Aussie teachers who faced disciplinary action revealed

St Ignatius' College students younger than year 3 won't have access to digital devices and their peers up to year 9 will be limited to at most 50 per cent of their learning with technology. Picture: Dean Martin

We like to talk about limiting recreational screen time to two hours, but that advice means very little if the rest of their waking hours are taken up with “learning activities” that are just digital worksheets.

And let’s talk honestly about Minecraft in the classroom. I know the argument, that it’s creative, promotes problem-solving, encourages collaboration, and in small doses perhaps it does.

But in reality, it’s just another dopamine hit in a day already saturated with them. And it teaches our children to expect instant gratification and constant stimulation. They lose the patience for slow, hands-on learning.

They forget how to be bored. They start to believe that every moment of quiet must be filled with entertainment.

I see the impact in my clinic, and I see it at home. When children step away from the screens, their mood improves. They fight less. They sleep better. They make friends in the real world instead of only through a headset. In short, they become calmer, more grounded, and more like children again.

The first step for parents to truly understand what’s happening in their child’s classroom. Ask the hard questions. Find out exactly how much of their school day is screen-based. Challenge the assumption that more technology automatically means better learning. And be willing to back it up at home by balancing school’s screen use with offline time in the afternoons and evenings.

Schools, for their part, need to be brave enough to follow the lead of places like St Ignatius.

Have the courage to say, “Yes, technology is useful, but not all the time.” Reclaim the art of teaching without a device between the teacher and the child.

The truth is, our kids are spending more waking hours with a screen than without one.

They’re learning, playing, socialising, even relaxing through a device. If we don’t rebalance things now, they’ll grow up thinking the offline world is the strange one. That’s not preparing them for life - it’s narrowing it.

Have your say in the comments below or email [e-mail]

Originally published as More schools should bring in screen time limits like St Ignatius’ College | Clare Rowe