Australian high schools reported dramatic improvements in student behavior just eight weeks after a firm mobile phone ban.
Among students in grades 7-10 (ages 12-16), Davidson High School principal David Rule found 90 cases of behavioral problems related to school calls, including bullying, inter-child conflict, and suspension. % reduced.
“After almost eight weeks of use, students are more active, playing more handball and basketball during recess,” Ruhr said in the school’s newsletter.
“In the library, I see card and board games and groups of students sitting in a circle and talking.”
“Classrooms are virtually phone-free, allowing staff to focus on educating students.”
Exams will begin at the end of April 2022, and schools have given students lockable cell phone pouches to keep their cell phones stowed during the day.
Students put their phones in their porches, lock them at the beginning of the day, and unlock them only when they leave school.
“I think this is a positive step for students to connect with each other and become more positive,” Rule said.
“This is also an opportunity for the school to monitor changes in social media issues, which typically occur on a weekly basis.”
According to the Australian Psychological Association, nearly 60% of young Australians are heavy social media users, connecting more than five times a day, and nearly a quarter are always connected.
According to the Australian Government’s Electronic Safety Commission, four in ten Australian teens report having had a negative online experience in the past six months, including being threatened or abused online. I’m here.
First school to hit headlines with phone ban
Warhope Public Schools trialed lockup phone technology in 2019 after an independent review found an increase in online bullying, explicit image sharing, and a lack of focus in classrooms with mobile devices in Australia. I went to my first school.
Principal Glen Sawle said that rather than banning phones, the strategy is to manage screen time as students acquire knowledge and skills.
“Using pouches allows students to be much less distracted by social media during the day and much more focused and focused on what is happening in the classroom,” Sawle said. say.