Mobile phones to be banned in West Australian schools
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382577)
Rockingham, Australia
October 30, 2019 12:55am CST
Concern about the decreasing levels of literacy and numeracy in West Australian schools has led to the government planning to ban the use of mobile phones in all public schools from 2020. The ban covers mobile phones, smart watches, tablets and other devices such as earbuds and headphones, and will come into effect at all public primary and high schools. There will be exemptions for exceptional circumstances and teachers will be able to give permission for limited phone usage.
Students from kindergarten to Year 6 will be banned from having mobile phones in their possession during the school day while students from Years 7 to 12 must have their phones turned off during school hours, and kept off and out of sight until the end of the school day. Smart watches must be set to airplane mode.
The ban was trialled at one high school and the community there were amazed at the level of hoise in the playground at lunchtime as the children were actually talking to each other.
This seems a step in the right direction to me.
Photo is of some adult ‘kids’ enjoying themselves at our local playground. They were actually a music group, the Bombadils, from Canada.
32 people like this
32 responses
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
31 Oct 19
It will be a good thing a great thing although they might not take kindly to it at the moment.
I am hoping that our Sophie does not have a mobile phone yet.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
2 Nov 19
@JudyEv
I don´t think that the children will like it very much though and if mine were htat age now they would not be taking mobiles to school at least for me although I know it would be much harder for me to keep to as the pressure to do what all the others do is really on.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382577)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Nov 19
@lovinangelsinstead21 It can be really difficult sometimes to hold out against peer pressure.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
30 Oct 19
this's brilliant! i wish they'd do the same here'n the u.s. these young'uns jest seem to continue to fail'n their studies. lack social skills, can't spell 'r e'en write a complete sentence. their ability to e'en 've a verbal conversation o'er said phone 'tis a horrifyin' 'xperience. 't least with my grands... i've 'd more stimulatin' conversations with the pups 'n cat!
so, kudo's to western australia fer takin' this step. gonna be lots 'f hollerin' from those young'uns. their 'rights' infringed. 't least that'd be the case here'n the u.s. most likely.
nothin' wrong with the 'big kids' havin' a bit 'f fun. i used to 'njoy that sort'a thingy, too :)
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
31 Oct 19
@JudyEv hopefully they'll do jest that's they see more success'n the students. they're too distracted by constant texts, tweets 'n all that nonsense to pay much mind'n class 'round these parts.
they do! the rare times i've been'n stores, most 'f the younger set'll not e'en look 't'cha whilst speakin'. like 't seems foreign to 'em. most disheartenin'.
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@JudyEv (382577)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Nov 19
@crazyhorseladycx I know what you say about people not looking you in the eye. And yet to my mind, it is very important.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
31 Oct 19
@JudyEv It makes me laugh that some young people in the UK are predicting Brexit will turn the country into some Mad Max style post-apocalyptic world (Drama Queens!!!). They then express glee at the hardship it will cause us older folk (as we're the ones who supposedly all voted for Brexit).
Starved of the internet I don't think it's us oldies who need worry about survival.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209177)
• United States
30 Oct 19
I think the policy is similar in US schools.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
31 Oct 19
I wish they will do that here. I never understood why kids need cell phones in school.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
1 Nov 19
@JudyEv And we survived as well as my children who never had cell phones until they graduated.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
30 Oct 19
Good idea. I fear for the kids growing up with devices. What will happen to social skills?
1 person likes this
@resukill22 (25050)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
31 Oct 19
I hope here also mobile phone is banned
1 person likes this
@resukill22 (25050)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
2 Nov 19
@JudyEv I think depends on how they use it
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
30 Oct 19
I understand the argument form parents (be able to track and find your kid). I also understand the reality of schools (they are at best a distraction).
I wonder because sitting in the middle I think we should leave the phones and ban kids instead :-) (kidding_)
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
30 Oct 19
Not sure if I think children under 6 should have a mobile phone or smart watch at all, so banning it for that young children seems sensible to me. We've got some of the same rules for 6-12. In most schools they have to place the phone in a mobile phone hotel and can't use it during the day. Where I work (15-19 year old) we also have mobile phone hotels, but the main thing is that they're not used during lessons, only for quizes or making videos etc.
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@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
31 Oct 19
@JudyEv They're sensible when you manage to use them with sense ;-)
Some heads of department mean that we should use the mobile phone hotels no matter what, even in classes where you never see them. That's a waste of time IMO, so some times I pretend that I've forgotten.
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@RasmaSandra (98129)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
31 Oct 19
I have to agree it is the right way to go because kids should concentrate on learning not socializing but what if they need to contact their parents?
1 person likes this
