❓ Mr. Healy asks the Premier about the new mobile phone ban in WA schools, and the Premier responds by outlining the policy's details and rationale, emphasizing its benefits for student focus and social interaction.
AnsweredQoN 983Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS — MOBILE
PHONES BAN
983. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Premier:
I would like to acknowledge in the
gallery students from Carey Baptist College from my electorate and the member
the Jandakot's electorate. Welcome.
I refer to the announcement today of
a ban on mobile phones in Western Australian schools.
(1) What do parents need to know
about this new policy?
(2) What impact will it have on the
kind of education our kids receive?
PHONES BAN
983. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Premier:
I would like to acknowledge in the
gallery students from Carey Baptist College from my electorate and the member
the Jandakot's electorate. Welcome.
I refer to the announcement today of
a ban on mobile phones in Western Australian schools.
(1) What do parents need to know
about this new policy?
(2) What impact will it have on the
kind of education our kids receive?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Southern
River for the question. I acknowledge that he was a very fine high school
teacher before he came into Parliament.
(1)–(2) We want to ensure that our children receive the
best education possible across our state. We know that with our 800 or so public primary and high schools, we
have a world-class education system in this jurisdiction —one of
the biggest self-governing jurisdictions in the world. We have great teachers,
administrators, education assistants and the like across our schools, and we
want to make sure that our children have every chance of success. Today, the
Minister for Education and Training and I announced that from the start of school next year, mobile phones will be
banned for students in WA public schools under an ''Off and Away
All Day'' policy designed to remove distractions from students during
the course of the school day. The ban on mobile phones will be from the time
students arrive at school in the morning until they leave the school in the
afternoon. It will be before school and during breaks at school. During recess
and lunch, the ban will be in place. It will be for students from kindergarten
through to year 12. That will ensure that we remove those distractions that
students suffer from.
This morning I went to Ocean Reef
Senior High School, which has had a policy of this nature since the beginning
of 2018. People at the school said the policy has been working well. In fact,
the principal said that when the policy came in, teachers suddenly noticed
noise in the playground at lunchtime. Before the ban, they did not hear noise
in the playground. They had forgotten that students could play and talk,
because at lunchtime students would sit, as people do, tapping away on their
mobile phones—in fact, sometimes texting
one another when they were sitting next to each other. I might be a little bit
old-fashioned , but I think it is a great thing that kids play, talk,
kick a football and play netball, basketball and handball—all the sorts
of things I used to do when I was at school. Getting them back into doing that
sort of thing at lunchtime and recess is, I think, terrific for kids. What is
more, in the classroom this morning, a fantastic young student named ZJ
explained that when they had their mobile phones in the classroom, it was a distraction,
because they would keep getting notifications, not focus on what the teachers
were saying and check their messages. Obviously, this new policy is all about
removing distractions whilst kids are in the classroom and ensuring that at
lunchtime and recess they are out playing and talking to one another, which is
exactly what they should be doing.
As a parent, like many members, I know
it is not easy —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : They are bit
distracted over there, Mr Speaker.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse! Members, please, I want to hear what the Premier is saying.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I always paid
attention to the teacher! I always listened to the teacher, Mr Speaker.
Ms L. Mettam : But we aren't
learning anything.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Get off your
phone, then! I have three kids, like many people here, and I find it hard to
get them off their phones, but this policy will ensure that schools have the
backup to get kids off their phones and get them focused on learning and
playing and talking during breaks. It is a blast from the past that will be
great for kids, schools, teachers and parents all over Western Australia.
River for the question. I acknowledge that he was a very fine high school
teacher before he came into Parliament.
(1)–(2) We want to ensure that our children receive the
best education possible across our state. We know that with our 800 or so public primary and high schools, we
have a world-class education system in this jurisdiction —one of
the biggest self-governing jurisdictions in the world. We have great teachers,
administrators, education assistants and the like across our schools, and we
want to make sure that our children have every chance of success. Today, the
Minister for Education and Training and I announced that from the start of school next year, mobile phones will be
banned for students in WA public schools under an ''Off and Away
All Day'' policy designed to remove distractions from students during
the course of the school day. The ban on mobile phones will be from the time
students arrive at school in the morning until they leave the school in the
afternoon. It will be before school and during breaks at school. During recess
and lunch, the ban will be in place. It will be for students from kindergarten
through to year 12. That will ensure that we remove those distractions that
students suffer from.
This morning I went to Ocean Reef
Senior High School, which has had a policy of this nature since the beginning
of 2018. People at the school said the policy has been working well. In fact,
the principal said that when the policy came in, teachers suddenly noticed
noise in the playground at lunchtime. Before the ban, they did not hear noise
in the playground. They had forgotten that students could play and talk,
because at lunchtime students would sit, as people do, tapping away on their
mobile phones—in fact, sometimes texting
one another when they were sitting next to each other. I might be a little bit
old-fashioned , but I think it is a great thing that kids play, talk,
kick a football and play netball, basketball and handball—all the sorts
of things I used to do when I was at school. Getting them back into doing that
sort of thing at lunchtime and recess is, I think, terrific for kids. What is
more, in the classroom this morning, a fantastic young student named ZJ
explained that when they had their mobile phones in the classroom, it was a distraction,
because they would keep getting notifications, not focus on what the teachers
were saying and check their messages. Obviously, this new policy is all about
removing distractions whilst kids are in the classroom and ensuring that at
lunchtime and recess they are out playing and talking to one another, which is
exactly what they should be doing.
As a parent, like many members, I know
it is not easy —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : They are bit
distracted over there, Mr Speaker.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse! Members, please, I want to hear what the Premier is saying.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I always paid
attention to the teacher! I always listened to the teacher, Mr Speaker.
Ms L. Mettam : But we aren't
learning anything.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Get off your
phone, then! I have three kids, like many people here, and I find it hard to
get them off their phones, but this policy will ensure that schools have the
backup to get kids off their phones and get them focused on learning and
playing and talking during breaks. It is a blast from the past that will be
great for kids, schools, teachers and parents all over Western Australia.
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