Away for the day campaign paves the way for school mobile phone ban

• A new website and social media education campaign have been launched to ensure a smooth transition to new mobile phone arrangements in schools from Term 1 2024.
• Campaign will highlight the important role that parents and carers play in students’ safe and responsible use of mobile devices, both during and outside school hours.
• ‘Away for the day’ will commence in Term 1 2024 – student mobile phones will be switched off and put away.
• Certain wearable devices like smartwatches must have notifications switched off.

A website and social media campaign has been launched today to help support families and students in the lead up to the 2024 school year when students will be required keep their mobile phones ‘away for the day’.

The campaign highlights the important role parents and carers play in students’ safe and responsible use of mobile devices, both during and outside school hours. 

The mobile phone ban will extend to wearable devices like smartwatches, which can be worn, but must have notifications switched off, so that phone calls, messages and other notifications cannot be sent or received during school hours.

This will bring consistency across the nation, with all other states and territories agreeing to restrictions on the use of mobile phones in all government schools.

For many school communities, the implementation of ‘away for the day’ will not require significant change, with more than 95% of state schools already implementing policies that restrict the use of mobile phones for students during school hours.

The adoption of this statewide approach will support schools to maintain a strong focus on educational achievement and student wellbeing and engagement by allowing students to learn, and teachers to teach, with less distractions.

Quotes attributable to Education Minister Grace Grace:

“The Away for the day campaign will provide support for families and students in the lead up to next year when the new mobile phone arrangements come into force.

“We are working with state school communities to implement this policy while building on the great work state schools are already doing in this area.

“Putting mobile phones ‘away for the day’ will encourage face-to-face social interactions between students as well as promoting their health and wellbeing by providing more opportunities for physical activity during break times.

“It will also reduce the exposure of students to the unsafe or inappropriate use of technology, such as cyberbullying, accessing harmful content or breaches of personal privacy.”

For more information visit https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/7e7e467f-3ee6-4ecb-9942-4145f4e239cd/1/index.html

Media contact: Martin Philip 0407 675 008