MOUNT Gambier High School principal Chris Edmonds believes it would take a lot of work for public education sites to enforce a strict mobile phone ban.
His comments follow a push by Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell to introduce a blanket ban on mobile phones at State Government-funded schools
Mr Edmonds said teachers at his facility had the right to remove a device from a student if required, stating mobile phone use was a considerable issue in most secondary schools.
The senior school leader recently sought clarity from the Education Department on the ban proposal, which confirmed no formal investigation into a ban had been launched but “it was on the table”.
“From the view of a principal, I would be concerned about altering the way my teachers acted, from being facilitators of education and positive social communicators to being basically police to children,” Mr Edmonds said.
“They would have to begin to formally ask to hand devices over … I am not really sure it would be able to be done, these are significant changes in how schools work.”
Mr Edmonds questioned whether schools had the rights and capacity to impose a ban on people.
“It would be a complete change on how the department is run – we are now too far down this path, ” he said.
Mr Edmonds said if a ban was imposed, a working relationship between parents, teachers and students would have to be established.
“What we call ‘helicopter parents’ or just if a child texts parents to let them know they are having a bad day can really become a tangible and everyday problem,” he said.
Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR
“Phones are really a wonderful resource but they have potential to cause challenges.”
“A ban could happen, but it would take a lot and the only way it would work is if there is a blanket system-wide expectation of every schooling site.”
Year 12 student and school captain Jade Charlton said while useful, technology hindered student development.
“They can see their phone light up, check it, more students become involved and all of a sudden they have all wasted 10 minutes of learning time they have to catch up on,” Ms Charlton said.
“Devices also have impacts socially, even when you are sitting outside on your phone, you are not having the opportunities to meet new people.”
Receiving his first phone at the age of 13, fellow Year 12 student and school captain Thomas Male said devices had changed from being a special privilege to a normal possession for young people.
“When I was going through school, you were even lucky to have a phone,” he said.
“Now at least 70pc of the time, phones would be used for social media whether it be texting people or scrolling through feeds.”
Mr Edmonds said the school still often faced day-to-day challenges relating to students using their devices at school, even with its own policy in place.
“Digital devices and phones can be powerful tools for learning when they are embedded in the classroom program, but they can also create significant distractions and there is the potential of harm to be done,” he said.
“Teachers certainly have a right at school to remove a device from sight and if students refuse, consequences can be faced.
“I think it is a considerable issue in most secondary schools and I do not think Mount Gambier High School is not alone in the way we approach mobile phone use.”
