Politics · Australia · 3 hrs ago
NSW, Victoria and WA to limit screen use in schools from next year
NSW, Victoria and Western Australia plan to restrict screen use in schools from next year.
The measures are part of a push to address concerns about students spending long periods on screens.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare supports less screen time and more traditional learning, such as writing with pen and paper, to help address falling academic performance.
Educators warn that treating all classroom screens alike could harm learning, and say schools should assess whether technology supports learning rather than simply count minutes.
Adelaide student Nitya Bhatol said she spends about four hours a day using screens in class and worries that removing technology could make it harder for students to learn and work in technology-focused fields.
The challenge is to balance screen limits with useful digital learning, as the three states prepare to introduce restrictions next year.
NSW, Victoria and Western Australia will introduce school screen-time restrictions and device limits from next year.
The governments say the measures respond to worrying trends in screen use and declining reading and writing skills.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare is advocating reduced screen time and a return to methods such as pen and paper.
Educators and technology experts warn that broad limits could harm learning and say classroom technology should be assessed by its educational value.
Student Nitya Bhatol said technology is central to her schoolwork and removing it could make it harder for students to return to traditional learning.
- Who
- The governments of NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare is also advocating reduced screen time.
- What
- The states will introduce screen-time restrictions and device limits in schools.
- When
- From next year.
- Where
- Schools in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.
- Why
- The governments cite worrying trends in screen use and concerns about reading and writing skills. Experts warn that limits could undermine learning if they do not account for how technology is used.
State governments
Educators and technology experts
Purpose of restrictions
State governments
Limits are intended to respond to worrying trends in screen use and concerns about falling reading and writing skills.
Educators and technology experts
Screen use should be judged by its learning value, and not all classroom technology has the same purpose.
Effect on learning
State governments
NSW Education Minister Prue Car said action was needed as teenagers spend as much as seven hours a day on screens and reading and writing skills are going backwards.
Educators and technology experts
Experts warn that a government-backed technology “detox” could hurt academic results and that eliminating screens could leave students less prepared for later life.
Nitya Bhatol said her school began using more technology when she was in Year 7.
NSW, Victoria and Western Australia will introduce school screen-time restrictions and device limits.
- States
- NSW, Victoria and Western Australia
- Start
- From next year
- Parents surveyed
- 45% of secondary parents and 32% of primary parents said the benefits of using technologies outweigh the disadvantages.
- Screen time
- Teenagers spend as much as seven hours a day on screens, according to Prue Car.
- Student screen use
- Nitya Bhatol said she spends about four hours a day on classroom screens and about four more on personal learning.
What people are saying
When the research is telling us teenagers are spending as much as seven hours a day on screens, and we are seeing reading and writing skills going backwards for a whole generation of children, we have to act
It’s important to measure the learning, not the minutes
To eliminate screens completely probably doesn’t set them (students) up for success in later life. We’ve got to get this balance right.
I feel like taking it (technology) all away now would make it harder for them (students) to move back to traditional learning.