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Schools have been open for just a few days, but many have already adopted the government's ban on mobile phones before it comes into force at the start of term two.

From term two schools must ensure students do not use a phone at school, including during lunch-time and breaks, although there are exemptions.

Wellington teenager Nina told RNZ the phone ban did not go down well when her school announced students must keep their phones switched off and in their bags all day.

"I think most people were pretty disappointed when they announced in assembly, you could just feel the energy going," she said.

"Kids are going to start using their computers as they would their phones. You can access a lot of Snapchat, everything... I think it's a bit pointless."

Wellington East Girls College student Semhar Girmay was more positive about her school's policy, which also required students to store their turned-off phones in their bags.

"When we first got the email I ran to my parents and was like 'what am I going to do, I can't do this'," she said.

However she said she was already paying more attention to school notices and concentrating better in lessons without her phone distracting her.

"I'm not fully used to it, I still catch myself walking into school with it in my pocket, but I think with time it's actually fine."

Fellow Wellington East student Seralina Seumanufagai said she initially thought the ban was a bit extreme and she found the first few days difficult.

"Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming', so now it's been kind of hard, we've been trying to memorise each other's timetables, walking around the whole school trying to look for each other. But I think as time goes on and by next term everyone will get used to it and all the upset students will calm down."

The school's Year 9 Dean Shelley Vail said she had already noticed positive changes.

"I have seen no cellphones in class at all or walking around school on duty. A couple of behaviours I have seen that have changed is I've seen more students engaged in game-playing, things like playing cards, and we cycled all the Year 9s through the library as part of their orientation programme and the librarians have been thrilled with the number of books students are taking out and have noticed students are reading in the library much more than they noticed last year," she said.

School principal Gael Ashworth said previously the school expected students to keep their phones turned off in their bags "but that wasn't the reality".

"We've only had two days where we've had the whole school back and the numbers of cellphones that we've had surrendered to staff have been quite low," she said.

"Students seem to be okay with it. Anecdotally, my take on wandering around the school is there is a lot more face-to-face engagement between the students. Young people playing cards and chatting."

Nearby, Wellington High School is still figuring how it will implement the government's policy and students are considering what it will mean.

Some told RNZ the ban would reduce distractions in the classroom and encourage socialising during breaks though one student said they wanted to play games on their phone at lunchtime.

Principal Dominic Killalea said the school already expected students to keep phones away during lessons.

He said it would not stop young people misusing social media in their spare time and it might make it tricker to use phones for learning.

"I've had a number of teachers come to me and talk about the particular applications that they use with mobile technology," he said, such as students using their phones to photograph plants on the school grounds for a biology lesson.

"The policy isn't saying that you can't do that. However it is just a little more difficult when that teacher says 'okay, you all have to bring your phones in tomorrow'," he said.

Killalea said the school would consult with students and their families and was likely to suggest a policy that allowed students to keep their phones in their bags, but switched off.

South Wellington Intermediate School principal Toby Stokes said it banned mobile phones four years ago, so the government's policy was nothing new for his school.

"The students walk in the door. They're allowed their phones at school until the bell goes. Then they need to be locked up for safe-keeping and then they get given the phones back at the end of the day. If they are needed for classwork then they're monitored but then put away again," he said.

Stokes said a ban on phones was not hard to enforce and the school only encountered one or two students who desperately tried to hang on to their phones.

"We wanted our students to be active participants in their learning and active in the playground as well," he said.

Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said he expected most schools had started the year with policies that met the government's requirements rather than trying to change their rules part-way through the year.

He said it might be difficult to enforce the policy during breaks and it could lead to problems if expensive phones were confiscated and subsequently lost or damaged.

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School phone ban: 'Students seem to be okay with it'

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Schools have been open for just a few days, but many have already adopted the government's ban on mobile phones before it comes into force.

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Most New Zealanders support cellphones being banned in the classroom, but not at break times.

The National-led government says it will ban mobiles in schools altogether. Students would have to drop off their phones at the start of the day and collect them at home time.

Horizon Research polled four possible policy options:

61 percent supported banning mobile phone use at all schools during class time, but not during breaks

56 percent supported a ban on use for the whole school day

16 percent said there should be no ban (60 percent disagreed with that view)

52 percent supported letting schools decide

Horizon's survey of 1481 adults also found that a ban during class, but not during breaks, was the most favoured option among those with children in their households - 63 percent supported this.

Only 22 percent of people with children thought there should be no ban at all.

Support for a ban, but not during class breaks, was highest in Northland, where 79 percent supported that option.

Horizon said that although the phone ban policy was reported as being controversial during the election campaign, it had solid public support. Tweaking the policy to allow mobile use during class breaks would maximise support.

The survey was conducted 10-16 November. Respondents represent the New Zealand adult population. At a 95 percent confidence level, the maximum margin of error is +/- 2.5 percent.

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Ban phones in classroom, not during breaks - survey

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Most New Zealanders support cellphones being banned in the classroom, but not at break times.

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Students playing and talking to each other during breaks has become the norm again in schools with cellphone bans in place, principals say.

This comes as National leader Christopher Luxon announced the party would ban the use of mobile phones in all schools if elected.

Luxon said a number of schools had come to the decision themselves to ban phones already.

"Mobile phones is being consistently raised with us by principals, teachers and parents."

He said banning the devices during breaks will help with wellbeing and social skills too.

Some studies had found a 6.5 per cent improvement in learning after a phone ban, Luxon said. Others said it added up to five days to the school year, he said.

Luxon said schools would not be able to opt out of the phone ban and they would be checked they're complying by the Education Review Office (ERO).

A number of schools, including Diocesan School for Girls, Otago Boys' High School, Ashburton College and Rotorua Intermediate already have cellphone bans in place during school hours.

Diocesan Schools for Girls principal Heather McRae said the school had banned cellphone use during school hours in 2019 for all students up until the end of Year 10 and had seen a big improvement in the amount of physical activity and social skills.

"You know, they actually talk to their friends and do cartwheels on the lawn and you see a whole kind of liberation of those students at that age," McRae said.

"The girls talk about, they like having that space without their phone. I think there are real benefits to students going back to more building friendships that aren't online - the real social skills and social development of the young people."

McRae said students were allowed to have their phones in their bags but were not allowed to have them out during school hours.

She said they decided to allow the senior students to use phones at school because they were of the age where they needed to learn responsible behaviours and how to moderate their usage and prioritise things like a good night's sleep.

But McRae said she wouldn't be averse to banning phones across the board, although she expected there would be a good conversation between the Government and schools before it became a done deal.

"I can see why other countries have gone down that pathway because certainly, I think social media has had a negative impact on young people's wellbeing and to some extent our wellbeing as well."

School staff still had to deal with the odd issue that arose around social media and cyber-bullying but it was far less frequent since the ban, she said.

Otago Boys' High School rector Richard Hall said banning cellphones during school hours was "one of the best things I've done".

The ban was brought in at the start of 2022 because he was noticing boys staring at screens all break instead of interacting and playing, staff were having to deal with too much cyber-bullying and there was no need for them as an educational tool.

Phones were not allowed to be out or even in pockets during the school day and those caught using them had the device confiscated and were given a detention.

Hall said he had seen changes since the policy was implemented and it was now normal to see boys interacting and playing together during breaks. Staff were also spending a lot less time dealing with cyber-bullying.

Hall said he was usually a fan of schools making their own decisions, but in this case he would be supportive of making it compulsory.

"In this case, I think the evidence is clear. I think it's part of a worldwide trend," he said.

"I think it's a very responsible government policy to do that. And I think if everyone was in the same boat then it means that those schools who may find it difficult to do with their community actually have a reason to say, well, 'it's ministry policy'."

St Patrick's College in Wellington this year also banned phones and accessories such as headphones from being visible on school grounds during the day to remove the distraction of notifications.

Students there also faced confiscation if caught using their phones and staff reported phone use during class was now generally a non-issue, business manager Matt Buck said.

Fellow capital school Queen Margaret College implemented its no-phones policy in 2021 because students were sitting outside texting each other and not engaging in physical activities during breaks, and they were no longer making eye contact with teachers or each other, principal Jayne-Ann Young said.

She said the school asked that students leave their phones at home or in their locker during school hours.

Young said they quickly noticed the younger students playing again during breaks and the older students were making eye contact and talking again.

"When we asked the younger students about this they said, 'We watched the older students, and they were texting, so we thought that's what we were supposed to do'. With no phones at morning tea and lunchtime, it almost gave them permission to play again."

While parental support was not unanimous to start with, most parents were grateful for the policy because they were concerned about their child's screen time, she said.

Wellington Girls' College recently changed its rules around cellphone usage so students have to place their phone in a pocket hanging on the wall at the start of each class. The teacher counts the phones and students to make sure everyone has complied.

But students are allowed their phones during breaks.

Year 12 student Tessa Gilhooly told RNZ she was against a full-day ban but liked the school's new policy.

"It's really helped me to focus more and I think it's a really good move."

Luxon today announced National would introduce a ban on phones for the entirety of the school day, including the morning tea and lunch breaks.

"To turn around falling achievement, students need to focus on their schoolwork during their precious classroom time," he said.

"That means doing what we can to eliminate unnecessary disturbances and distractions.

"Many schools here and overseas have experienced positive outcomes, including improved achievement, after banning the use of cellphones."

Luxon said phones would need to be off and away during school hours but it would be up to schools to decide how to manage and enforce it.

Some schools might require phones to be handed in at the start of the day and collected after school, while others may tell students to leave them in their bag or locker, he said.

He said there would be exceptions for students with special circumstances while parents could contact their children via the school office if need be.

But Secondary Principals' Association president and principal of Papatoetoe High School Vaughan Couillault told RNZ he believed the plan was not necessary.

"Actually what's best is to empower schools to make decisions that are right for them and their community," Couillault said.

"I don't think central [government] controlling banning is the way forward."

While students weren't generally allowed to use phones in class at Papatoetoe High School, there were situations where it was appropriate to use them, Couillault said.

"In some lessons they're away and you don't see them the whole lesson and other lessons they might be engaged in videoing [a classmate] doing a speech or performing at sport.

"A piece of legislation that bans [phones] won't instantly stop [inappropriate use] overnight, it will create conflict, it will create a legal requirement for us to confiscate rather than to educate and train students on how to use things appropriately."

Then there were the practicalities of enforcing a ban with smart devices like watches, he said.

Couillault gave the example of Mt Albert Grammar, which has 3000 students.

"If it took one minute to take a phone and process it off a student at the gate, that's 3000 minutes of human resource to get everyone's phone off them in the morning, 3000 minutes in the afternoon, 6000 minutes of phone policing, there's no time for maths and English."
Amy Wiggins is an Auckland-based reporter who covers education. She joined the Herald in 2017 and has worked as a journalist for 12 years.

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'One of the best things I've done': Schools with phone bans already in place report positive results

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Students playing and talking to each other during breaks has become the norm again in schools with cellphone bans in place, principals say. This comes as...

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Our issue/problem that requires a decision is the impact of cellphones on learning. The solution is to ban phones in school for the whole day.

Find supporting details that show the strengths and weaknesses of that solution, i.e., find evidence for and against banning phones.

In your response, include:

The supporting detail.

What kind of evidence it is, e.g., statistic, fact, quote, etc.

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People already use apps that are on their phone on their chromebooks

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People already use apps that are on their phone on their chromebooks

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We will have nothing to do at break times.

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We will have nothing to do at break times.

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kids cant go on there phone during class 

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kids cant go on there phone during class 

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Students are interacting with eachother more

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Students are interacting with eachother more

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Kids are more interactive in school and are involved in activities. 

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Kids are more interactive in school and are involved in activities. 

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When we first got the email I ran to my parents and was like 'what am I going to do, I can't do this'," she said.

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When we first got the email I ran to my parents and was like 'what am I going to do, I can't do this'," she said.

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However she said she was already paying more attention to school notices and concentrating better in lessons without her phone distracting her.

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getting the experience of the real world

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getting the experience of the real world

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There are unable to check there timetable quickly and having to memorise things 

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There are unable to check there timetable quickly and having to memorise things 

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They will just start doing everything on there chromebooks 

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They will just start doing everything on there chromebooks 

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Students may need their phones for specific classes

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Students may need their phones for specific classes

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Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming', so now it's been kind of hard, we've been trying to memorise each other's timetables, walking around the whole school trying to look for each other.

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Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming', so now it's been kind of hard, we've been trying to memorise each other's timetables, walking around the whole school trying to look for each other.

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He said it would not stop young people misusing social media in their spare time and it might make it tricker to use phones for learning.

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He said it would not stop young people misusing social media in their spare time and it might make it tricker to use phones for learning.

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"Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you' so now it's been kind of hard".

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"Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you' so now it's been kind of hard".

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kids need there phones for personal resons

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kids need there phones for personal resons

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Not able to contacts people easy and comfortably 

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Not able to contacts people easy and comfortably 

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kids will do every thing on there computer just like they did on there phone

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kids will do every thing on there computer just like they did on there phone

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"The students walk in the door. They're allowed their phones at school until the bell goes. Then they need to be locked up for safe-keeping and then they get given the phones back at the end of the day. If they are needed for classwork then they're monitored but then put away again,"

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"The students walk in the door. They're allowed their phones at school until the bell goes. Then they need to be locked up for safe-keeping and then they get given the phones back at the end of the day. If they are needed for classwork then they're monitored but then put away again,"

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"Kids are going to start using their computers as they would their phones. You can access a lot of Snapchat, everything... I think it's a bit pointless."

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"Kids are going to start using their computers as they would their phones. You can access a lot of Snapchat, everything... I think it's a bit pointless."

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''Support for a ban, but not during class breaks, was highest in Northland, where 79 percent supported that option."

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''Support for a ban, but not during class breaks, was highest in Northland, where 79 percent supported that option."

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phones are use to text people from differents schools comfortle

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phones are use to text people from differents schools comfortle

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chromebooks will become the new cellphones

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chromebooks will become the new cellphones

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"We wanted our students to be active participants in their learning and active in the playground as well,"

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"We wanted our students to be active participants in their learning and active in the playground as well,"

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When you're older you can tell your kids of your childhood and it acctually can be somewhat intresting

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When you're older you can tell your kids of your childhood and it acctually can be somewhat intresting

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you could get an import call from ur parents and it rings in class u could get it taken off u cause u had ur phone on you

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you could get an import call from ur parents and it rings in class u could get it taken off u cause u had ur phone on you

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Horizon's survey of 1481 adults also found that a ban during class, but not during breaks, was the most favoured option among those with children in their households - 63 percent supported this.

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Horizon's survey of 1481 adults also found that a ban during class, but not during breaks, was the most favoured option among those with children in their households - 63 percent supported this.

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It's pointless as students will just start using their laptops instead of their phones so there's no point in banning phones if they'll just be replaced by laptops as most sights are reachable from laptops

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It's pointless as students will just start using their laptops instead of their phones so there's no point in banning phones if they'll just be replaced by laptops as most sights are reachable from laptops

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not being worried of veiws and followers during class time

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not being worried of veiws and followers during class time

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not many kids like to be social in real life

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not many kids like to be social in real life

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Support for a ban, but not during class breaks, was highest in Northland, where 79 percent supported that option.

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Support for a ban, but not during class breaks, was highest in Northland, where 79 percent supported that option.

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"Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming

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"Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming

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POV; They try to ban phones

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convostations not just being about stacys dance or andrews lastest video ect ect

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convostations not just being about stacys dance or andrews lastest video ect ect

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you can build friends ships online and you can make good bonds if yuou k  what your doning

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you can build friends ships online and you can make good bonds if yuou k  what your doning

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6.5 per cent improvement in learning after a phone ban

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6.5 per cent improvement in learning after a phone ban

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my phone lying in bed at home

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makes students pay attention more during classes

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makes students pay attention more during classes

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Kids will be bored as they might struggle with communication and there also isn't really anything to do at break 

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Kids will be bored as they might struggle with communication and there also isn't really anything to do at break 

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students are just going to be more sneakier and less honest

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students are just going to be more sneakier and less honest

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everyone bunking school and riding around in shopping carts

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students will become sneaky and start lying by hiding in the bathrooms or in a secluded place to use their phones

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students will become sneaky and start lying by hiding in the bathrooms or in a secluded place to use their phones

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benefits to students going back to more building friendships that aren’t online

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benefits to students going back to more building friendships that aren’t online

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you might try to talk to someone but they might be a furry and they wont like and try to fight you!!!!!

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you might try to talk to someone but they might be a furry and they wont like and try to fight you!!!!!

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students arent gonna get over having no phones so their gonna be girls with attitude and teachers arent gonna be treated very well

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students arent gonna get over having no phones so their gonna be girls with attitude and teachers arent gonna be treated very well

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Kids can struggle with talking to people, they might be awkward and struggle speaking to each other so they'll feel left out

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Kids can struggle with talking to people, they might be awkward and struggle speaking to each other so they'll feel left out

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it will be the only topic of convosation in clas

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it will be the only topic of convosation in clas