Top 100 private school St Ignatius’ College introduces sweeping restrictions on digital devices for its students
A leading private school is banning technology for junior students and heavily restricting it up to year 9 as its principal questions the dominance of screens in classrooms.
St Ignatius’ College has banned access to digital devices for students up to year 3 level and their use will be heavily restricted for their peers up to year 9 in a nation-leading tech-smart initiative.
All year levels will have restricted access to digital technology across the entire school week at both its Norwood and Athelstone campuses from 2026.
It came after the South Australian private school trialled “Tech-smart Tuesdays” one day per week in April this year, in which students were encouraged to engage in problem-solving without the use of Google or ChatGPT.
St Ignatius’ was ranked 60th in News Corp’s list of the top 100 schools nationally, among 20 SA colleges on the list.
While each public school can approach classroom lessons differently, digital devices such as laptops and tablets are widely used to assist learning.
St Ignatius’ College principal Lauren Brooks said with the initiative, staff and students were “questioning the true impact” of the growing dominance of digital technology in education.
Students up to year 3 level will have no access to digital devices, except for rare instances where they are required for learning.
From years 4 to 6 at the college, students will be allowed up to one hour of device use per day.
Students in years 7 to 9 will have 50 per cent of their learning time free from digital technology.
Senior students in years 10 to 12 will adopt a “tech-smart” approach, but devices will be used in subjects and study which require them.
“As technology races ahead in a manner that is unprecedented and untested, we will not continue to follow blindly,” Ms Brooks said.
“This initiative ensures that students are authentically stretched in their learning, encouraged to maintain originality in their work, develop their creative capacity and critically interrogate information and ideas.”
Reception student Charlie, 6, backed the move as he said “we can do more reading without iPads”.
His classmate Mila, 5, said without devices, students could “draw and have fun and learn”.
The new initiative, influenced by back to basics classroom strategies in countries such as Sweden and Finland, was developed in collaboration with staff, students and parents.
The model is expected to evolve over the next six months as teachers continue to refine the curriculum.
A reception to year 12 cyber safety and digital literacy program will also be introduced at the school.
For public schools, the Education Department sets requirements for the minimum number of devices which must be available by year level.
On average, schools must have one device per three students in primary year levels by the end of 2026.
That ratio increases to one device for every student on average in secondary year levels.
A phone ban was introduced in public schools in 2023.
Among public schools to take up technology initiatives was Glenunga International High School, where students in years 7 and 8 participated in “digital detox days” once per term in which they keep devices away for the whole day. .
Earlier this year, Education Minister Blair Boyer considered implementing “technology-free days” in public schools following a trip to an international teaching forum in Iceland.
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Originally published as Top 100 private school St Ignatius’ College introduces sweeping restrictions on digital devices for its students
