Teaching and Learning

Student Mobile Phone Policy

You may recall that the school is currently reviewing the Student Mobile Phone Policy. 

As part of this process, we have engaged students, teachers and parents/carers to gather their thoughts as a means of informing the way forward for the College. Throughout the process, we have been well aware that we are balancing two equally important factors. They are;

• Mobile phones are a part of life. Young adults use them in many positive ways, including supporting their learning, and need to develop an understanding of responsibility around the use of mobile phones. In taking the opportunity for responsible use away from them it may reduce their ability to learn this themselves.
• Mobile phones impact negatively on many aspects of life, including learning. At a minimum, they are a distraction, causing individuals to lose focus. In certain settings, they should be banned in order to avoid any negative impacts.

In response to our survey, there have been varied responses. Acknowledging that the brief comments below won’t honour all responses, in summary;

Parents and Carers- largely believe that phones impact negatively in school and there is minimal need for them in the classroom. Parents and carers recognise that they can be used as a substitute for other devices however very few parents and carers agree that they enhance learning. Approximately 1 in 4 parents are aware of their child experiencing cyberbullying or online harassment. Most parents regulate use of the phone at home and overwhelmingly, parents and carers believe that the school should regulate phone use. Most parents expressed a desire to see phone restricted use during the day.

Students (Yrs 10 – 12)- are overwhelmingly in favour of being allowed some responsibility and choice regarding how they use their phones and don’t see them as a negative influence. In relation to enhancing learning, mobile phones are often used in lieu of other devices such as laptops and calculators, however the phone can provide functions (such as photography for example) that other devices do not. Interestingly, approximately 2 out of 3 students believe that staff (teachers or the College Leadership Team) should make the decision regarding the use of phones whilst at school.

Teachers- mostly believe that mobile phones do not enhance learning. Most teachers do not encourage mobile phone use to enhance learning in their classes, or if they do it is only sometimes. Many teachers find that mobile phones are a distraction for students, however believe that they can be useful in lieu of a laptop and for photography where required. This only applies to certain subjects. Teachers identified the ways in which mobile phones negatively impact on learning, including distraction, social media and inappropriate use.

Decisions regarding the student mobile phone policy will consider the input of relevant parties, what research in other settings tells us and the possible ramifications of changes made. We are grateful for all individuals who took the time to contribute and look forward to what is produced as a result.

Semester 1 Exams and Performance

As is common at this time of year, exams are currently underway for some students and commence shortly for others. This presents a challenging time as students are placed under pressure to perform. Whilst we recognise that some find this uncomfortable, reasonable levels of stress and pressure are expected in life and learning to manage such situations allows us to grow. 

At the same time, there are some individuals who find the exam period overwhelming and may need additional support. At St Bede’s College, we recognise that this happens and have support mechanisms in place to assist any student develop strategies that will enable them to deal with these times in the future. 

To our parents and carers, we ask that you keep an eye on those in your care in the coming weeks. If you see signs that students feel overwhelmed, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are willing to work with students around this and do what we can to avoid such feelings in the future. For our students, talking about how you are feeling is of vital importance. Teachers, parents, peers, Year Level and House co-ordinators are all willing to both listen and assist, referring you to support as required. Whilst avoiding exams may seem like a suitable solution, it does not provide one with the strategies to deal with such situations in the future. Remember- we are here to help.

Brenden Mair

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning