Mobile phones banned from NSW primary schools

The NSW government will impose a ban on mobile phones in state primary schools from 2019 to help tackle bullying and remove distractions from classrooms.

Federal Government pushes for nationwide mobile ban in schools.

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Mobile phones will be banned from public primary schools across NSW from next year.

The state government announced the move on Thursday, following a review into their use in classrooms.

"Mobile phones, unfortunately, are not only distracting but also causing stress for young children - and we can't have that continue," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told Seven's Sunrise.

"We're sending a very strong message to everybody that children need to be protected."
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would consider implementing pill testing if her government was shown evidence it saved lives. Source: AAP
The education department will provide guidelines to schools about exactly how the ban will work, but it's believed students won't be able to have access to phones during the day.

If there are special requests from parents they will be kept somewhere to be accessed before or after school, Ms Berejiklian said.

High schools will have the choice to opt-in to the ban.

Psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg, who led the review, said mobile phones posed a risk to children.

"It's all really about kids focusing on lessons, better socialising, reducing social media use and reducing online bullying and online image abuse," he told 2GB.

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Published 13 December 2018 12:04pm
Updated 14 December 2018 5:37pm


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