Principal's Update

Digital Discernment at Friends’

Listening to recent comments from Federal Education Minister Jason Clare about the impacts of technology on student learning led me to reflect on the fervour with which, in 2008 and 2009, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led our schools into what was known as the Digital Education Revolution, with 1:1 laptop programs introduced across schools for students.

Accelerated by the necessities of COVID-19, the place and role of technology in education shifted and changed, from being a tool on the side to being at the centre of the learning experience. The revolution continued and, with the rapid development and application of artificial intelligence, the opportunities and challenges have also accelerated. All of this seems to have led us to the next phase of the digital revolution: one that will perhaps be characterised by a retraction, a ‘Digital Detox’, as Minister Clare is calling it, and a focus on the impacts on learning, engagement and attention.

At Friends’, we recognise that technology is an integral part of the world our students inhabit and the futures they will live and lead. Our role as an educational community is not to retreat from the digital age, but to walk alongside our young people as they learn to navigate it with wisdom, integrity and purpose. We are deeply committed to an education that embraces innovation, prepares students for the complex lives they will lead and equips them to use digital tools thoughtfully and creatively.

At the same time, the rapid evolution of online environments and artificial intelligence brings new questions about balance, safety and community wellbeing. Guided by our Quaker roots and values, and in particular our testimonies to truth, stewardship, simplicity, peace, integrity and equality, we are called to reflect deeply on how technology serves our humanity and our planet. In the Quaker tradition of thoughtful discernment and seeking pathways together, we are establishing a dedicated Digital Discernment Working Party.

The Working Party comprises Senior Leaders and representatives from across the School. It will explore emerging challenges and key questions, review research, and map out a thoughtful path forward for our community.

Key Areas of Focus

Initially, the Working Party will explore several critical questions:

Mobile Phone Management: How can we best manage student mobile phones across the School?
Image and Identity Security: In light of recent advice from the eSafety Commissioner, how will we use student and staff images on our website, in publications and on social media platforms?
Balanced Device Use: What is the optimal level of engagement with devices during the school day and during study at home?
Fostering Healthy Online Culture: How can we ensure that we educate about and minimise the impact of divisive and toxic online rhetoric, particularly relating to racism and sexism?
Supporting Families: How can we best support families in navigating the difficult terrain of technology, now and into the future?

Next Steps and Timeline

Our aim is to establish clear, age-appropriate guidelines that foster consistency and support healthy boundaries:

Term 4: An updated position on mobile phone management and phased-in guidelines regarding the use of student and staff images.
2027: Clear, age-appropriate device guidelines for classes and a robust approach to addressing divisive online influences such as racism and sexism.

An Invitation to Discern Together: Join Our Community Consultation

Our Quaker ethos teaches us that wisdom is found when we listen to every voice in our community. Crafting a technology framework that honours both the incredible opportunities of digital life and the quiet space needed for reflection requires collaboration.

We warmly invite our staff, families and students to participate in this process. As the Working Party refines its initial questions, we will be launching a community consultation to gather your lived experiences, perspectives and hopes for our students.

Please watch for upcoming communications about how you can join these conversations and participate in surveys. Together, we can build an approach to technology that reflects our shared values, supports family life and prepares our students to live grounded, meaningful lives in an interconnected world.

World Quaker Day

During the upcoming term break, World Quaker Day will be marked on Sunday 4 October, with this year’s theme, Let Peace Be Among Us.

The Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) is offering three online gatherings for worship and reflection, bringing Friends together across countries and Quaker traditions. These gatherings provide an opportunity to hold communities affected by violence in the Light, and to reflect together on peace and justice.

For more information and details about the online gatherings, please visit the FWCC website.

As we come to the end of another busy term, I would like to wish all members of The Friends’ School community a safe, restful and enjoyable term break.

For our students, the break is an opportunity to step away from the routines and demands of school, spend time with family and friends, enjoy the outdoors, pursue interests and simply take some time to recharge. For our older students, particularly those preparing for upcoming TCE and IB examinations, we hope the break also provides a good balance of rest, revision and time away from their studies.

Thank you to our students, families and staff for the energy, care and commitment you have brought to the School throughout the term. The contribution of each member of our community helps make Friends’ such a vibrant and connected place.

We hope the coming weeks offer everyone a chance to pause, reconnect and restore, ready for the final 2026 term ahead.

In Peace

Esther Hill - Principal