
Phone bans begins in NSW state school this week. While we may think it is rather straightforward to implement the ban, the reality is that its not.
We tend to think that students will get used to handing their phone in and as a result that they will be better able to learn. The reality is quite different. The NSW Premier stated that even though there was no evidence to support a phone ban increasing grades, he stated that it can’t hurt them either.
Anyone who works in a school knows that they are complex places and relationships are of utmost importance. Learning takes place best when students feel secure and happy in their environment. A phone can interrupt their learning but so can a strained relationship with their teachers and school.
If we look at phones bans in schools overseas what often happens is that the ban is usually off to a good start. Students can have a positive response. We expect that students will just learn to accept handing in their phone as “standard rule of conduct.”
However students can become less positive about the ban over time. It’s important to remember that a phone isn’t just a product that we own, it’s part of who we are. Students often start resisting by:
using mobile phones surreptitiously. o videoing breaking open phone ban pouches
using different strategies to avoid handing in their mobile phones.
handing in a spare phone.
As a result, teachers say that it is difficult to establish a good relationship with the students who do not comply with the ban. The ban itself can shift relationships that are so important to the teacher-student trust. So with bans in schools now ready to begin, how will school work towards ensuring trust remains and teacher-students relationships stay strong?