NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns Announces They Are Banning Mobile Phones in NSW Public Schools in Term 4

pegaxs on 03/04/2023 - 11:45

Yeah, I'm going to open this can of worms.(Twitter)

Chris Minns has announced on Twitter this morning;

We’re banning mobile phones in NSW public schools from day 1, term 4 - this year.

And as typical, misinformed and illiterate types have come out of the woodwork and started their incessant outrage campaign without knowing any facts or what guidelines this possible rule introduction will fall within… (such as; how is it going to be implemented, controlled and policed.)

So, is banning phones at school a good idea? A bad idea? What benefits or issues can you see arising? Will a ban work? Should there be other alternatives/solutions?

Alternative info sources;

Chris Minns website
ABC news article

And for the cookers and Murdoch fanbois, News.com.au (Seems to be a slow news day for SkyNews… Probably all still crying over Labor winning NSW…)

Poll Options

  • 183
    Great Idea. Needed to be here sooner
  • 2
    Something needs to be done and this is the right direction
  • 4
    Something needs to be done but this is the WRONG direction
  • 6
    Bad Idea. Should never be implemented
  • 3
    Meh, who cares.
  • 3
    Oh what? What's next? They will try to ban vapes in schools?
Education & Work

Comments

  • CrispyChrispy on 03/04/2023 - 11:53
    +4

    Of course it's a good idea, but hell of a lot easier said than done.

    I can see this being enforced in classrooms, it already somewhat is (to varying degrees of success), but during recesses and lunchtimes? Good luck with that…

    ABC News Article
    …but said locked pouches and lockers were options.

    Most kids these days probably have an older phone or two lying around, not hard to keep that hidden somewhere (eg. school bag) until they whip it out at recess/lunch.

    "It may be as simple as making sure mobile phones are in a student's bag and can't be taken out during the school day."

    The article literally says two paragraphs earlier, 'I know a lot of adults who find it difficult to concentrate when a mobile phone is in front of them, so I don't know why we expect children to have that kind of discipline in them'

    • Montyjpm on 03/04/2023 - 15:52
      -2

      Jammer?

      • WreckTangle on 03/04/2023 - 17:39
        -5

        Too bad if you live near a school using one. Or if you have a kid in a school that could use one… possible cancer anyone?

        • jetblack on 04/04/2023 - 08:15
          +3

          Jammers are a public safety issue (eg. trying to call emergency services), not a health issue.

          • WreckTangle on 04/04/2023 - 16:30
            -1

            @jetblack: Not according to academic research.
            Eg

            The results exhibited that mobile phone jammers caused frequent changes in blood cell factors.

            https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6280113/

            • Mukduk on 05/04/2023 - 14:46

              @WreckTangle: Firstly, read the entire discussion, including the part where they reference results on HUMANS, compared to their results on an animal model, which was limited to a sample size of 10.

              Learn the difference between ionising and non-ionising radiation. The only "pOsSiBleE cAnCeR" is more likely to be caused by having to read your post than what was presented in the article.

    • ThithLord on 04/04/2023 - 09:02

      Of course it's a good idea, but hell of a lot easier said than done.

      Absolutely - but if this ban even works for only 50% of kids, the outcome is still great.

  • AdosHouse on 03/04/2023 - 11:54
    -3

    I'm cool for banning phones but what systems are in place for the safe keeping of the phone on school premise? Or is it just not allowed for the kids to bring them at all? And if the second scenario how about the kids that have after school activities, or anything that needs to organise travel? If the first, is the school holding the phone and handing them back and is the school liable for lost/stolen/incorrectly handed out phones

    Sounds like a politician made a policy and expects everyone else to work out how it's done.

    • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 12:23
      +5

      but what systems are in place for the safe keeping of the phone on school premise?

      Our kids school lockers have locks on them.

      Or is it just not allowed for the kids to bring them at all? And if the second scenario how about the kids that have after school activities, or anything that needs to organise travel?

      in VIC, kids can take phones to school, they just can't use them during school hours so have to be stored in their locked locker. So little johnny can check their phone when school is over to see any 'changed' travelling arrangements you may have sent them. Honestly they don't need to know this any earlier. If you want to collect them early for some reason, the office will page them.

      is the school liable for lost/stolen/incorrectly handed out phones

      Having a phone at school isn't a need/right by the kid or the school, it is a choice and the kid/parents owns all the risk if they are lost, damaged etc. If you don't accept this, then leave the phone at home. The kids don't NEED a phone to do school work.

      The school takes no liability for phones the same as they don't take any for anything else your kid brings like tablets, bags, etc.

      • AdosHouse on 03/04/2023 - 13:30
        +1

        Mate when did you go to school? And did they have lockers when you were there? The ones they were introducing into my high school were a piece of piss to break into.

        If the child is allowed to retain the phone but not allowed to use them, that's fine, it's their property in their possession so they are responsible for keeping it safe. If the school is making them hand it in to the office or something, then they are taking responsibility.

        And times are changing, kids these days are doing more and more after or before school activities, plus parents are busier, so being able to contact your child is becoming more and more important. Not so when school is in session when a message can be left with the office or the office can contact parents.

        Also I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I support that phones should stay out of the classroom, it's just about this being implemented properly.

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 03/04/2023 - 14:17

          Some South Australian HS have introduced locked pouches for phones. Phone is put into pouch on arrival, locked, and is unusable until unlocked as the student leaves. Unlock device (similar device to security tags system in retail stores) was placed at exit gate manned by staff.
          Phone remains in the student's possession.

          See @Bignudge's comment below.

          • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 14:52
            +4

            @DashCam AKA Rolts:

            South Australian HS have introduced locked pouches for phones

            Such an overhead nightmare….. More simply to do what everyone else does, No phones allowed during school hours, if you are caught, it is confiscated till the end of the day. Repeat offenders handled like any other repeated discipline issue. Works well in the VIC schools.

        • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 14:49

          The ones they were introducing into my high school were a piece of piss to break into.

          Then leave your phone at home if you think the lockers are not secure. These days the lockers have cameras looking over them, so really it's not an issue you think it is.

          If the school is making them hand it in to the office or something, then they are taking responsibility.

          In VIC they don't ask for them to be handed in to the office. Its up to your 'kid' to keep it 'safe' and out of sight during school hours, generally in your locker. Same as the iPad/laptop the school requires the kids to have. Kid has to look after that too.

          And times are changing, kids these days are doing more and more after or before school activities, plus parents are busier, so being able to contact your child is becoming more and more important.

          There is zero need for you to contact your kid during school times even for those reasons. If something changes, send them a message. They'll see it at the end of the school day when they can use their phone again.

          But if you must, then send your kid a email. Mine has a school email address and they use the school controlled iPad in most classes so can see email.

          Also I'm not saying it's a bad idea,

          you kinda are as you feel the need to be able to contact your kid 24x7.

          • AdosHouse on 03/04/2023 - 17:45
            -1

            @JimmyF: Mate I'm happy for phones to be not used in the classroom, but there is a need for some kids to be contactable before and after school. Nowhere did I say kids need the phones in class, I'm just saying forcing them to go into lockers or be handed in is not the way. If the school just says no phone use, if caught it will be confiscated, great, that works.

            And cameras on lockers doesn't mean you get your stuff back.

            • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 18:42
              +2

              @AdosHouse:

              but there is a need for some kids to be contactable before and after school.

              and you can still do that.

              I'm just saying forcing them to go into lockers or be handed in is not the way. If the school just says no phone use, if caught it will be confiscated, great, that works.

              Your kid can stick their phone up their bum for safe keeping for all the school cares, as long as it isn't 'out' being used during school hours. So whatever you feel is best for your kid. Leave it in their pocket, as long as they don't pull it out.

              And cameras on lockers doesn't mean you get your stuff back.

              But shows which kids did it.

              Maybe my kid goes to a better school than yours, this isn't really the issue you make it out to be for us, it is a non issue for my kids. No one we know has had their phone stolen from their locker or stolen in general.

              The policy works well, phones into bags/lockers when school starts, out when school finishes. Kids have iPads as well they use in class, that also live in the lockers, but again, no one cares about them either.

  • SBOB on 03/04/2023 - 11:56
    +1

    Other states already do it
    Schools to determine the enforcement policy that works for them.

    This is both a great idea and a meh who cares level of issue :)

  • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2023 - 12:02
    +4

    Actually what Sky is really crying over is Aston. Dutton’s “report card on the government” speech didn’t make it out of his pocket.

    • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2023 - 20:14
      +1

      Looks like I’ve hit a nerve with a couple of people.

  • Bignudge on 03/04/2023 - 12:11
    +4

    Great idea! I have taught at a school that had kids lock their phones in a Yondr Pounch followed by keeping it in their bags. If a student was seen using a phone… straight off to the deputy. Full on consequences that were followed up by the school. It really improved student engagement and learning.

  • sandman87 on 03/04/2023 - 12:13

    Im all for this policy change and making it a blanket ban across the state's high schools. As a high school teacher, my issue is going to be how it actually happens. If its just a rule that phones aren't allowed, well thats been the rule that many schools have tried to enforce for years with mixed levels of success. If they implement a system that stores phones away or secures them but they remain in the students possession (Yondr pouches) then that might be better, albeit at a higher cost. I have a feeling that parents will largely be on board but there will need to be work done to sooth parent concerns around limited student/parent communication. Parents have always been able to contact schools to get a message through to their child, but many have become used to being able to instantly update their kids and be updated by their kids.

    With changes to the Department of Educations discipline policy, I doubt there will be sufficient reason for kids to follow the rule without some kind of physical means to prevent kids using them at school.

    • Surfsalot on 03/04/2023 - 12:50
      +2

      Our kids now 20 and 25 went to a private school with phone bans all through high school, had to hand them in at the office. If we needed to contact them rang the office and a message was passed on.
      Not hard.
      The 20 year old is now a Teachers aid in a public school while doing UNI.

    • elanda on 04/04/2023 - 08:47

      My kids have Chat on their laptops and I have Chat on my phone and PC - easy to drop them a message if it really can’t wait.
      And our school (Vic) makes students keep their phones in their lockers. If a teacher sees them using it during school hours, it’s confiscated and taken to the office, and not released until a parent turns up in person to get it. Seems to work well.

  • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 12:17
    +8

    So, is banning phones at school a good idea?

    NSW is just catching up to other states. VIC for example has had this for a long time. No mobile phones are allowed during school hours. They have to be stored in their lockers/bags. Doesn't seem to be an issue at all, the kids all use their phones until they walk into the school grounds, put them away and then pull them out when school is over. The world hasn't ended for them as all the kids are on a level playing field. aka no phone.

    I mean, do you really want your child on tiktok/snapchat/whatever instead of learning? If so, then don't bother sending them to school so the ones that do want to learn can.

    As for enforcement, sure its not easy at the start, but schools just take their phones off them until the end of the school day, repeat offenders have to then have a parent come and collect the phone, continued repeat offenders lose them till the end of term.

    They learn pretty fast!

    Honestly those that think its a bad thing, kinda miss the point of what school is about ;)

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 03/04/2023 - 12:18
    +2

    been out of high school for decades but even back then kids would sneak mobiles into class - though back then it was pretty much just texting. 3g was expensive as hell (and slow), no tiktok/ig/fb etc. I would be all for a blanket ban but the implementation of it would be painful I bet with kids the way they are these days.

    • wekimekigugudan on 03/04/2023 - 22:24

      though back then it was pretty much just texting.

      Snake game, or composing your own ringtone :D

  • deme on 03/04/2023 - 12:30

    Now ban lootboxes

  • loropy9 on 03/04/2023 - 12:32

    Hopefully the mobile phones ban helps reduce the bullying in schools.

  • boomramada on 03/04/2023 - 13:07
    +1

    Good move, already doing it in SA

    So, is banning phones at school a good idea? A bad idea? What benefits or issues can you see arising? Will a ban work? Should there be other alternatives/solutions?

    All your questions are answered here (SA version)

    https://www.education.sa.gov.au/mobile-phones

    More info

    https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/consultation-s…

  • bobbified on 03/04/2023 - 13:21
    -4

    oh yes.. typical aussie government. Just 'ban' everything because 'education' is too hard.

    A lot of phone use is chatting and messaging. Most, if not all, those chat apps are now available on the PCs so they can easily use that in class.

  • mskeggs on 03/04/2023 - 13:40
    +2

    My daughter's NSW public high school has had a phone ban since last year.
    No phones allowed in class, if you are caught, it is confiscated till the end of the day. Repeat offenders handled like any other repeated discipline issue.
    It is policed by classroom teachers, and they can set the rule in their class - so if there was a class where the teacher wanted students to bring their phone to take a picture or something, that can be allowed, or different rules attending a sports day, for example.

    Kids definitely sneak a look at their phones now and again, but so what? If they are out of sight in almost all of class time, that is the desired outcome.
    There is a very small number of parents who objected because they were trying to contact their kid during the day. They can ring the office to pass on a message, as has always been the case.

    • trapper on 03/04/2023 - 16:05
      +4

      This seems reasonable to me.

      Ban in class, confiscate when kids get caught. Maybe keep it a bit longer for repeat offenders though, 'until mum or dad comes in to pick it up' would probably work real well.

      Why is there any need to go beyond this?

      • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 18:50
        +3

        Ban in class, confiscate when kids get caught. Maybe keep it a bit longer for repeat offenders though, 'until mum or dad comes in to pick it up' would probably work real well.

        This is the policy at our school. Confiscate, then student collects from office EOD for first few times. Repeat offenders then have to get parents to collect from the office.

        Why is there any need to go beyond this?

        There isn't, this issue has been 'solved' in many other states, all this talk of mobile jamming and crazy things like locked pouches for phones is just silly talk.

  • Wiadro on 03/04/2023 - 13:45
    +3

    ban tiktok too

  • Seraphin7 on 03/04/2023 - 14:07

    The whole thing is an implementation nightmare.

    Back in my day, the form guide, amongst other things, was banned in schools (at least during class) … not sure if this is still the case. If discovered, it was simply seized and binned.

    Fast forward to today and it's mobile phones. The only actual difference is the value of the item.

    This then poses two questions as to (1) whether the value of the item is actually relevant in this context, and (2) whether an individual school/group of schools has the right to seize/ban anything that is not illegal or otherwise not at risk of causing harm.

  • 82norm on 03/04/2023 - 14:28

    So we can send humans into space and land men on the moon, but cant devise a system to collect / return phones. It shouldn’t be rocket science, it’s a pretty binary effort.

    • Seraphin7 on 03/04/2023 - 15:10

      Looking for non-binary outcomes these days.

  • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2023 - 16:30

    We went to a restaurant where they locked away our phones to stop people getting distracted on social media or taking phone calls. The problem is my Apple watch and IPad could, still, connect to my locked away phone.

    • brendanm on 03/04/2023 - 16:52
      +1

      Why would you have an iPad at a restaurant?

      • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2023 - 20:13
        -1

        Actually we often use our iPads if we go out to breakfast. It is my crossword device and we, usually, do the quiz.

        • brendanm on 04/04/2023 - 07:03

          Ok, but you weren't going to breakfast, you were going to a restaurant. Not just any restaurant, but one that banned mobile phones at the table.

          • try2bhelpful on 04/04/2023 - 08:43

            @brendanm: You don’t think restaurants do breakfast? I didn’t actually use the device I was pointing out how ludicrous the concept was of locking away devices when, now days, they are often used as hot spots for other devices.

            • brendanm on 04/04/2023 - 10:44

              @try2bhelpful: Sure they do, can't say I've heard of any that make you put your phone away at breakfast service, though happy to be corrected.

              I didn’t actually use the device

              But you took it to a place that doesn't allow phones at the table? This place also took your phone, but allowed you to take in an iPad?

              • try2bhelpful on 04/04/2023 - 11:40

                @brendanm: They weren’t rifling through our bags. I didn’t intend to use the devices I just found it interesting the devices could still connect to the phones. In fact they put the phones in little boxes on the wall, no room for the iPads. They would’ve needed to take our watches as well. Me, I would just ask people to set their phones to plane mode rather than make a thing about taking the phones off us. In fact once I saw connection was still possible I set my devices to flight mode.

            • jacross on 05/04/2023 - 10:02

              @try2bhelpful: Restaurants need to differentiate or they just melt away into the sea of restaurant competition.

              Clearly this restaurant is going with a 'engage instead of being on your phone' gimmick. That appeals to me personally but I don't know if it would be a key decision point. But the fact that you still have an apple watch etc and so can 'get away with having tech' seems a bit weird. It's not school. It's a restaurant. There are many. Go to a different one.

              But I think ludicrous probably isn't the concept you were going for when you used the word. More just pointing out a humorous technicality.

              • try2bhelpful on 05/04/2023 - 10:14

                @jacross: Yeah I was going for the humorous technicality, some people seem to take life too seriously. The restaurant made a big thing about putting our phones in boxes, but the hot spot was still working. It amused me to be a tad subversive in checking. They should’ve just asked everyone to put their phones into flight mode like they do at the cinema.

                Personally I want a restaurant to differentiate itself because it offers good food at a reasonable price. The food at this place was excellent but, personally, I didn’t find it good value for money. The affectation with the phones was a tad “faddish” for me.

                • jacross on 06/04/2023 - 18:53

                  @try2bhelpful: Yeah I could see myself maybe taking some mates to it just to mess with them and make a point but…well they better have some good food at good prices and a good atmosphere to replace the screen.

    • boomramada on 03/04/2023 - 18:44
      +1

      Thats a dumb idea, no free advertising by food p0rn.

    • JimmyF on 03/04/2023 - 18:51

      You took a iPad to a restaurant and used it while eating!?

      • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2023 - 20:11
        +1

        Actually no I didn’t use it. I just checked to see if it still had connectivity. The point is the iPad would’ve worked as well.

  • WreckTangle on 03/04/2023 - 17:45
    +3

    NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns Announces

    Its ok to call him the Premier now you know

  • lostgoat on 03/04/2023 - 22:39

    Doesn't anyone in the thread know responsible use of mobile phones for teenagers .
    eg a) study group starting 3.30 PM Please Dad pick up kids ( in primary school )
    b) My boss has been run of his feet and wants me to work ASAP after school . Pls pick up the kids .

    These phone calls happen during early afternoon so plans can be made for the pickup .

  • Mad Max on 03/04/2023 - 23:41
    -2

    You lost all credibility when you used the word "cookers".
    You don't realise that you are the one that is being cooked. Slowly, so you don’t notice…

  • jacross on 04/04/2023 - 07:53

    As someone who doesn't own a smartphone due to my own concerns with my previous use I am supportive of this idea in principle. If it is already the case in other States then I hope implementation is smooth.

    As a parent I look to the day my kids strenuously want a smartphone with a great deal of trepidation.

  • singingwolf on 04/04/2023 - 09:52
    +1

    I wonder how they will pay for lunches in the canteen now.

  • Speckled Jim on 04/04/2023 - 14:26

    Real setback for gambling companies. Big hit for govt revenue.

    Fear not, coalition will set things right when they eventually scare us into voting them back in.

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