Noise Levels Dialled Up As School's Total Phone Ban Gets Kids Talking

'From the start of term 1, McKinnon students have had to store phones in their lockers and are not allowed to touch them until they leave school, even during breaks.

‘‘It had really impacted on the learning opportunities for children,’’ Ms Binnion said.

‘‘I don’t think they were making use of every lesson as effectively because they were constantly distracted.’’

Mobile phones may have been around for years but educators and policymakers are still tackling their use in schools.

The long-running debate was recently reignited when the French government announced it would ban students from using mobile phones in primary, junior and middle schools.

French children will be allowed to bring the devices to school but will be prohibited from accessing them until the end of the day.

And in Australia, Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham recently said smartphones should be locked away during school hours because they were a distraction and platform for cyber bullying.

McKinnon Secondary College’s push to ban phones came from an unlikely source – students.'

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