Mobile Telephones in Schools
Mobile Telephones in Schools
Recently, the state government announced a ban on mobile telephones in government schools will be introduced in 2023. This blanket ban will be implemented by each school as they so chose; however, the desired outcome is the same: a mobile phone free school during the course of the school day.
Since the broad adoption of mobile phones and particularly the advent of smartphones from 2006, broader society has endeavoured to adjust to the presence of these powerful devices in our lives. I recall a time when a mobile telephone at the dining table in a restaurant was considered the height of rudeness; whereas today, a more liberal approach and acceptance prevails that is guided by context.
Public policy is often a response to need and circumstance. Prior to the advent of smartphones many venues would have strict rules regarding photography and filming. The ubiquity of cameras on devices has meant that such approaches have had to simply be abandoned and the consequences accepted as alternative policy has been rendered obsolete or unenforceable.
The policy position adopted by the South Australian government has been adopted, as Education Minister Mr Blair Boyer, observed because ‘“[t]he more conversations I’ve had, the more schools I’ve visited and principals and even parents I’ve spoken to, the more I’m convinced that in a lot of cases phones are actually the root cause of some of the violence we’re seeing.’
The challenge to the success of policy positions such as this always lies with the exceptions. What about students who use applications to monitor their insulin levels? What about iPads or laptops with similar chat functionality? What about the growth in smartwatches that can be used as a phone? These are the nuances and the detail that will ultimately determine the effectiveness, equitability and practicality of such a policy approach.
Currently, Pulteney adopts a position that seeks to educate students on effective, respectful and responsible habits of use with their devices. This is consistent with our broader belief in fostering student agency and in developing individual responsibility for our actions. Our expectations for the use of phones so that they do not distract from student learning or present as a risk for student safety seek to educate and nurture both trust and accountability, and, I am pleased to write, are broadly successful. There remains the need for some reminding and indeed some accountability for choices but this, I believe, is part of the journey of adolescence towards the responsibility of adulthood. Thankfully, the same challenges that the Minister identifies do not provide the basis for a shift in policy at Pulteney.
Is it either possible or desirable to create an environment free from a device that can allow for communication, photography or video? Yes, but such actions would likely see personal digital technology – including watches – left at the door. The question bodes as to whether such an approach is consistent with contemporary learning and indeed whether such a position is consistent with broader society, our workplaces and our homelives. Schools are an agent of society and this require the maintenance of a connection with broader societal expectations and function. The less like ‘real life’ the experience of school is for students, the more challenging it is for school to seem and be relevant.
Our endeavour is to lead and reflect the values of our community and I would welcome feedback from the school community regarding mobile phones at school and the policy position to be implemented in state schools, next year via e-mail at principal@pulteney.sa.edu.au.
Cameron Bacholer
Principal