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Victorian public school students will be banned from using their phones from next year.

Students will have to switch off their phones and store them in lockers until the final bell, Education Minister James Merlino has announced.

“This will remove a major distraction from our classrooms, so that teachers can teach, and students can learn in a more focused, positive and supported environment,” he said in a statement.

“Half of all young people have experienced cyberbullying. By banning mobiles we can stop it at the school gate.”

In the case of an emergency, parents or guardians can reach their child by calling the school.

The only exceptions to the ban will be where students use phones to monitor health conditions, or where teachers instruct students to bring their phone for a particular classroom activity.

The ban will start from term one in 2020.

Do you think this is the answer to help end cyberbullying issues?

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  • I agree with this, kids don’t need them during school hours. I am very worried about cyber bullying as it is becoming a real problem these days.

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  • Good idea. Kids don’t need access to their mobiles during school hours, they’re at school to learn

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  • I think it’s fine. Leave them in your bag until after school. We survived high school without them. There was always the option of going to the office to call your parents if you needed to or were unwell and wanted to go home!

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  • I’m not sure it will end cyber bullying, but it will definitely get the kids focussed on being at school. Concentrate in class and socialise with friends. I’m all for the ban

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  • step one, a good start

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  • I don’t think it’s the answer to end bullying but it may help.

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  • They really are too distracting and hard to control for learning environments.

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  • Great idea I hope NSW takes this on as well

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  • I think you could ban them during class time but not during the times in between classes and breaks. My daughter texted me y’day because she was unwell and consulted me what to do and if I would be able to pick her up. I think high school kids are not little babies anymore and you can’t belittle them.

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  • my daughter’s teacher complained to me about kids having mobile phones in class so i said to her to ban them in her class, she then complained that they needed them for research, I just looked at her like what the hell do you want then? My kid’s school also has all of their timetables online, will be very interesting how they expect them to know about room changes and important notices they post throughout the day. Was simple when I was in high school but most of the staff would have gone through their schooling with their devices

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  • Great idea I reckon

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  • I think it is a great idea. Apart from distracting them, they are highly addictive to school children who’s brains are not fully formed as yet. Of course they play a major role in the lifes of children now however I believe they don’t need to be on them at school, or constantly checking what the child three seats away from them has just texted. Wonderful idea and strategy to help curb online bullying also.

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  • No child needs their phone during school hours.

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  • I think it’s a good thing to try; they have sensible exemptions.

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  • I think it’s a good thing, especially not being able to take photos like a kid did to my son once. My son was worried about what he was going to do with it; it makes me sick and angry. At least they can keep the phone in their locker so they can use it after school in case something happens before coming home.

    Reply

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