All NSW Public Schools Will Ban Phones From October

The newly elected Premier announced the measure this morning.

From the start of term four this year, mobile phones will be banned in all New South Wales public schools.

The newly-elected NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the move this morning, fulfilling a key election promise from the Labor Party.

"I know a lot of adults who find it difficult to concentrate when a mobile phone is in front of them, so I don't know why we expect children to have that kind of discipline in them," Premier Minns said.

It’s likely the ban will only extend during school hours, and students will still be able to use phones travelling to and from school and for safety.

NSW will join Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the NT, who have all enacted similar policies.

Minns says the policy is aimed at improving social and physical health in schools and will help schools improve academic results.

Chris Minns did concede that students would likely try to find ways around the ban. 

He hasn’t announced a specific program or method of banning phones, and it’s likely the burden of actually getting phones out of students’ hands will fall to individual schools.

Popular methods across the country include asking students to leave their phones in lockers, pouches or communal boxes during school hours.

Minns pointed to the success of similar programs in other states and abroad that have had promising results.

“I don’t want to see NSW kids fall behind,” Minns told ABC News Breakfast.

“Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria – all of these states have implemented a ban.”

The move has had a mixed response, with some on social media calling it a “boomer policy”, meanwhile others are saying it will be an improvement in the classroom.

This is the most boomer policy ever.

— Jenny Gump (@NobodyImpawtant) April 2, 2023