Casey Grammar says strict new policy on electronic devices is working
The principal of a private school in Melbourne’s southeast says it’s playground noise that has been hit the hardest after the state introduced what could be its toughest policy on mobile technology for students.
Casey Grammar principal Fiona Williams says the number of children and young people laughing, chatting and playing in the schoolyard has risen to 11 since they were banned from devices such as phones, tablets, smartwatches and even wireless headphones and AirPods at the start of the school year.
When it comes to children’s well-being and education, schools have long struggled with the distractions and dangers of handheld, internet-enabled devices.
The state government’s ban on phones in the classroom has been in place since 2020, but wearable devices (with notifications disabled) and various other exceptions to the rules are allowed.
The government said over the weekend that it was satisfied with the results of the ban and was considering updating the policy to keep up with rapidly evolving technology.
Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, the state’s largest Catholic Schools group, cited UNESCO research into the harmful effects of personal technology on children and young people when moving to ban phones in the classrooms of its nearly 300 schools last year.
Each of the state’s 233 independent schools is free to write its own policies, and Casey Grammar’s device ban goes beyond government or Catholic positions. At Casey, exemptions to the rules on medical grounds will only be considered after discussion with the school nurse.
Only 11th and 12th grade students are allowed to bring their smartphones to school, as long as they remain secure in lockers throughout the school day.
The sanctions regime at Casey isn’t messing around either. Devices found on the student are confiscated and will not be returned until a meeting is held between the school, the child and their parents.
Williams said he and his colleagues are thinking carefully about what he believes could be the toughest school technology policy in the state after it became clear that the previous policy, where kids could take their phones but had to keep them in their bags, wasn’t working.
“We’ve had a lot of incidents in the past where phones were used inappropriately … so we realized we needed to take a much tighter, much stricter approach to our policy and have something that’s really black and white,” Williams said.
The principal was prepared for resistance from the parents.
“I… I was expecting a reaction but it didn’t really happen and that really surprised me,” he said.
“Considering the school has over 1,100 students, I think I’ve come across three situations where parents were concerned.”
The impact of the new policy is profound, Williams said, as the lack of constant phone checks “changes the rhythm of the school.” There are more games, card games are common and the environment is noisier.
“Not in a chaotic way, but in a way that schools used to vocalize,” he said. “The playground is louder, it’s busier, and it’s nice to see students chatting and enjoying each other’s company, and they really weren’t doing that when they were on their phones.”
Grade 12 student Deep Singh said he and his classmates were convinced the new policy was a good idea.
“When it came out, it was a huge shock to me and all my peers,” Singh said. “We thought it was a pretty drastic move, to be honest.
“Funny enough, as time went on it became a great opportunity to walk around school without a phone, and people started paying more attention to each other, playing games, noticing more things.
“It also helped me to make more friends; I had more meaningful conversations with people I wouldn’t normally talk to.”
A state government spokesman said the phone ban had been successful.
“Principals and teachers tell us this improves students’ focus on learning and increases socialization and physical activity during breaks,” the spokesperson said. “We are working with Catholic and independent schools to review our approach and ensure it reflects new technologies.”
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