A Sydney High School is Forcing Students to Lock Their Phones in Pouches?

What would you do if your school made you lock up your phone?

That’s exactly what a school in Sydney’s north has done, and it’s had some pretty staggering results.

Students in Year 7 to 10 at Davidson High School now have to place their phones in a pouch that locks at the school gate and can’t be opened until the end of the day.

Principal David Rule is behind the new policy, and with a name like Rule, you know it’s going to stick.

What’s pretty impressive is the impact Rule’s rule has had.

“In eight weeks of the policy, there has been a 90 per cent reduction in behavioural issues related to phones in the school,” Principal Rule told The Sydney Morning Herald.

A petition this year to restrict phone use at NSW schools has already reached more than 23,000 signatures, and 89 per cent of Davidson High School parents supported the new policy.

At first, the new rules were “very controversial”, but Mr Rule said it’s turned out to be a successful venture.

“Any time you reduce distractions in a classroom for both students and teachers there is benefit,” he said.

Davidson High School students Annika Hore and Ashton Ellery spoke to 7 News and voiced their support for the new rules.

“Now you go to the library, and there's people playing board games and a lot more conversations about what you did on the weekend and all about each other”, Annika said.

Daniel noted that a big impact of the new rule was the decrease in instances of cyber-bullying.

“I feel like (cyber-bullying) has dropped a bit more because no one can take photos of anyone and there's no way to embarrass anyone, especially over the phone and seeing other people's faces,” he said.