The states have brought in the bans in an effort to prevent distraction and curb cyberbullying.

Associate Professor Sarah Howard from the University of Wollongong's School of Education is glad the ban isn't set in stone in NSW quite yet.

NSW has committed to a primary school ban, which flows from a new policy it piloted at 22 schools in 2019.

The policy is to provide advice to high schools on students using digital devices, but ultimately leaves it to them to decide whether a ban is necessary.

There will be restrictions in NSW primary schools, but they are being given a one-year grace period to hash out the details.

Professor Howard is against banning phones in classrooms..

"Educationally I don't think that eliminating digital technologies from the classroom really benefits anyone, particularly considering these are technologies that are embedded in our work, learning and everyday use," she said.

Prof Howard would like to see a "proper conversation" around banning the use of mobile phones at schools.

"The idea of mobile phones in or out of classrooms is much more of a political decision than an education decision," she said.

"We don't really have good evidence about it, at least not evidence in terms of learning and teaching.

"There's nothing to suggest this is the correct approach...it's a political decision."

Prof Howard was quick to point out that not everyone should have a mobile phone in the classroom.

"And I'm not saying that it isn't distracting, because it can be. However there are a large number of other tools and devices that can also be distracting," she said.

"I would just like to see a conversation, some work done around how we can educate students and teachers on how they can best use mobile phones in the classroom space.

"Sure mobile phones can be distracting but they are very good affordable tools for students."

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A PhD student of Prof Howard's is looking into doing a paper on digital distraction.

"He is looking at exactly what it is that teachers and families are perceiving to be a distraction around the digital device," she said.

"So what is the distraction, why is it distracting in one place but may be useful in another.

"There isn't actually any research on that. There is some of the ed psych research, on you are paying attention or you aren't. But the nature of the actual distraction, what that technology is or should be doing, we don't actually know."