The assumption that banning the use of smartphones at school will fix the problem of bullying is “extremely naive”.
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So said NSW Secondary Principals Council president Chris Presland, who nevertheless welcomed moves by the NSW Government to review the use of smartphones in schools.
“But it has to be a more informed debate about the issues surrounding smartphones and bullying in general,” he said.
“We don’t believe that banning smartphones is actually the solution to the problem of bullying.
“Bullying is a societal issue. It is something that happens in every walk of life. It is not just a school issue.
“School students are children who model the behaviour that they see from an adult around them.
“So whether we talk about politicians, or the media or parents on the side of football fields on the weekends, or road rage or shops or whatever.
“This whole issue is a societal one and it’s a problematical one for a society which is under pressure.
“If the assumption is that we are going to fix up the problem of bullying by banning smartphones, it is extremely naive.
“It is a more complex problem.”
If the assumption is that we are going to fix up the problem of bullying by banning smartphones, it is extremely naive.
- Chris Presland
Mr Presland added that there are certainly advantages and an educational value for students if smartphones are used properly.
This view is supported by a number of teachers, including The Wheel founder Michael de Main.
The Illawarra-based teacher previously told the Mercury he spent a lot of time with students teaching them how to use social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook business accounts to better promote themselves.
But South Coast MP Shelley Hancock, who taught at Ulladulla High School for 27 years, is all for banning smartphones in school.
The Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly supported organisations such as the Carly Ryan Foundation and the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children in calling for action on cyberbullying of young people.
“I am pleased the NSW Government has taken the first steps which will see real action in reducing the insidious effect cyberbullying has on our children,” Mrs Hancock said.
The Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW president Susie Boyd said she would be interested to see what the upcoming review recommends.
“There should be a robust policy in place over the use of smartphone technology in schools, and any such policy should have the welfare of students front and centre,” Mrs Boyd said.
Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) also backs the review, which will be led by leading child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.
Education Minister Rob Stokes said smartphones provide opportunities for students and parents to stay connected, but can also create other problems.
He said the review will investigate the risks versus rewards of mobile phone usage inside the school gates.
It will examine the impact of the use of devices in schools on students of different ages in terms of educational outcomes and child development, as well as their potential benefits when used as part of contemporary teaching practice, particularly for students in the latter years of high school.
The review will also consider social media age restrictions, student online safety, the prevalence of cyberbullying on school grounds, restricting the use of mobile phones at primary schools and the importance of students being contactable while travelling to and from school.
Students, teachers and principals will be consulted, while the review will also seek advice from local and international experts in the fields of child development, cyberbullying, teaching practice and technology.