A 12-month review of the Malinauskas Labor Government's mobile phone ban has revealed substantial improvements in student behaviour.
Ninety-three per cent of leaders have reported a decrease in staff time spent following up with issues with phones, and the majority of staff and parents reporting increased focus and more positive break time activities.
A survey of parents, staff and students conducted as part of a one-year review of the policy, had more than 3000 submissions, with more than three-quarters of staff, and two-thirds of parents, saying the ban was having a positive impact:
- 93 per cent of leaders and 79 per cent of teachers reported a decrease in staff time spent following up issues with phones/social media
- 83 per cent of leaders and 75 per cent of teachers reported more positive break-time activity
- 76 per cent of leaders and 70 per cent of teachers reported increased focus and engagement during learning time
- 75 per cent of leaders and 64 per cent of teachers reported a lower frequency of critical incidents involving devices happening at school
Parents who said they are concerned about their child's use of social media were more likely to agree that the ban is having a positive impact (77 per cent) compared to parents who did not have those concerns (61 per cent).
It also comes as the state leads the nation in undertaking bullying initiatives to support our schools. The Minister for Education met with his NSW counterpart Prue Car in Sydney yesterday to sign an MOU where they share bullying resources, curriculum and professional development across the two states. The agreement will include all schooling sectors including independent and Catholic.
NSW will particularly benefit from the suite of anti-bullying resources SA has created over the past 12 months including the new 'responding to children and young people's violent behaviour' course for staff which has just been released.
South Australia has the nation's strongest mobile phone ban – off and away for the whole day, including during breaks. This has played a significant role in helping with anti-social behaviour at schools and reducing incidents.
Additionally, there has been an overall downward trend in three areas of critical incident reports made by schools to the Department for Education related to mobile phones or high-level social media incidents:
- A 57.3 per cent decrease in the number of incidents reported about social media issues in 2024 (90) compared to 2023 (211).
- A 37.9 per cent decrease in the number of incidents reported about behaviour issues involving a device in 2024 (103) compared to 2023 (166).
- A 34 per cent decrease in the number of incidents reported about policy compliance issues in 2024 (33) compared to 2023 (50).
Students were asked what they do during recess and lunch breaks, with talking to others, walking around and playing sports or ball games the most significant results.
Building on the ban, students will also receive updated education from 2025 about online safety, risks of inappropriate engagement, and strategies for seeking support to build upon their understanding of digital safety and appropriate use of devices.
No substantive changes to the policy were recommended in the wake of the review.
All students, in all South Australian public schools, are required to keep their mobile phones and other personal devices (such as smartwatches) switched off and out of sight during school hours, unless they have been given staff permission to use their personal device in line with a policy exemption.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
As the community grapples more widely with the issue of damage caused by social media platforms, this Government has taken decisive action to protect young people in school hours to ensure the appropriate use of devices.
We knew this was the right thing to do – and the data is reflecting that.
We are also taking a wider stand with social media as we are acutely aware of the harmful effects it is having on young people.
As put by Blair Boyer
In the wake of the ban being introduced I'm pleased to see that staff are seeing fewer issues involving personal devices at school, more socialisation and student interest in other activities in recess and lunch breaks, and improvements in classroom focus and engagement.
This nation-leading policy has been an important change, which helps students concentrate on their studies and building face-to-face relationships. We will look to build on this as we focus on reducing bullying and incidents of violence within schools.
Teachers are telling me that this has increased focus in the classroom, which is vital for students to get the most from their education free from distractions, bullying or undue social media influence.
