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Mobile Phones and Personal Electronic Devices – Student Use

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Guidance

Wearable devices

Some devices present greater risks to student attention, focus and self-regulation than others. Wearable devices, for example, vary in their functions and features. For example, a smartwatch may have functions similar to a mobile phone, while a smart ring may only track health or fitness data.

Similarly, devices that can capture footage or recordings of other students present wellbeing and safety risks. Recordings may be used for cyberbullying, to capture students without their knowledge or permission, or to be shared beyond the school community including on social media, resulting in the loss of control over students’ images, voices and other personal information.

Some wearable devices can be used to monitor the location of the device and recordings made by these devices are likely to contain information about the time and location the recording was made. This may create child safety risks.

Schools may set different requirements for different types of wearable devices as long as the base requirement remains in place – that notifications, cellular connection and recording functions are turned off during school hours. For example, a school could outline in their local policy that smartwatches or other specific wearable devices cannot be worn during school hours, while smart rings may be worn if these functions are turned off.

Camps and excursions

The policy restrictions continue to apply during school hours when students are on excursions and camps.

For mobile phones, schools are encouraged to also apply restrictions outside school hours, including overnight and after structured activities have ceased for the day. Camps and excursions can provide a valuable break from technology, with opportunities for students to engage more fully in activities, their surroundings and each other. Applying restrictions can also help avoid unnecessary distraction or inappropriate device use.

Schools may provide exemptions on camps and excursions where device use is needed to support student learning, wellbeing or safety, but should carefully weigh the benefits and risks of doing so.

For smart glasses, the restrictions apply for the duration of any camp or excursion, or any other school-organised event or activity, including times outside of school hours: refer to Smart Glasses and Covert Filming Devices.

Exemptions

Exemptions must be limited to the purpose, functions and period for which they are granted. Examples of the 3 categories of exemptions include:

  • learning-related exemptions, including:
    • specific learning activities
      • example: a teacher may design a unit of work that requires a student to use a mobile phone’s camera to record the staged development of a product during designated lessons, supporting the production of a folio
    • reasonable adjustments to a learning program because of a disability and/or learning difficulty
      • example: some students with disability may have difficulty with communication and may use a mobile device to aid/support communication by using an Augmentative/Alternative Communication application on a mobile phone to participate in classroom discussions by selecting words or phrases to be spoken through their device
  • health and wellbeing-related exemptions, including:
    • students with a health condition
      • example: a student with diabetes may use their mobile phone or wearable device to monitor their blood sugar and the administration of insulin
    • students who are young carers
      • example: a student who cares for a parent with health issues may use their mobile phone or smartwatch to discuss health issues with medical professionals and the person they are caring for, including in an emergency
      • example: a student who is a parent may keep their mobile phone or smartwatch accessible so they can be contacted by their child’s carer in case of emergency
  • exemptions to manage risks to students offsite, including where students:
    • travel to and from excursions and camps
      • example: students traveling by bus for an excursion may use their mobile phones to rearrange pick-up times with their parents/carers, if they are delayed due to breakdown or traffic
    • are on an excursion or camp
      • example: students undertaking a ‘City Experience’ excursion may carry mobile phones so they can contact a designated staff member if separated from the group
    • are not on school grounds and unsupervised with parental permission
      • example: a student permitted to leave the school grounds independently during school hours may carry their mobile phone
    • need to undertake intercampus travel
      • example: a student permitted to travel independently between schools or campuses may carry their mobile phone.

Canteen payments

Use of a mobile phone to make canteen payments is not a valid exemption.

A wearable device such as a smartwatch can be used to make card payments without connection to the internet or a cellular connection. Schools may also consider working with canteen providers to support alternative arrangements to make payment including:

  • preloaded non-bank cards such as payment integrated student ID cards
  • prebooked or invoiced online lunch order services
  • cash
  • physical bank cards.

Exemptions for smart glasses

In accordance with the Ministerial policy on Smart Glasses and Covert Filming Devices in government schools, smart glasses should not be brought to school, but if they are, they must be switched off and stored away from the student for the duration of all school activities, including activities outside of school hours. During school hours, schools must provide secure storage for smart glasses.

For more information about the risks of smart glasses, refer to Smart Glasses and Covert Filming Devices.

For more information about exemptions for student use of smart glasses where it is for the purpose of providing for a reasonable adjustment for a student with a disability and the reasonable adjustment cannot be reasonably provided for by another device or approach, refer to Smart Glasses and Covert Filming Devices.

Enforcement and reporting

Schools will enforce the policy, including behavioural consequences outlined in their existing Student wellbeing and engagement policy and in accordance with schools’ existing legal and policy obligations.

Consistent with Ministerial Order 1125 (MO1125), suspension is reserved for serious misuses of personal electronic devices where:

  • the conduct meets the grounds for suspension under MO1125
  • suspension is considered only as a last resort, after alternative interventions and support have been provided to address the reasons for the behaviour.

Under MO1125, students can be suspended for behaviour outside of school in exceptional circumstances. This might include online activity involving mobile phones or personal electronic devices, where the behaviour poses a significant danger to the health, safety or wellbeing of staff or students and has a clear and close connection to the school. All requirements of MO1125 must be followed.

For further information refer to Suspensions.

Reporting of some incidents involving student mobile phones, smart glasses or other personal electronic devices to a relevant authority may be required or permitted by law, and/or under the following department policies:

Incidents may also require reporting as a cyber or privacy incident, to ensure any additional actions are taken to manage privacy risk. Refer to Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) for information about reporting incidents.

Includes further guidance on wearable devices, camps and excursions, exemptions, canteen payments, exemptions for smart glasses, and enforcement and reporting.

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