Mobile Phones

Smart Phones at Craigieburn Secondary College

You may have seen the recent media coverage regarding the recommendation that smartphones be excluded from schools in the interest of improved student learning and an opportunity to switch off from the world of social media. Please use the following link if you would like to read more https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/schools-need-to-react-quickly-education-expert-urges-smartphone-ban-20180525-p4zhm4.html 

At Craigieburn Secondary College it remains our policy that students are not to use smartphones at school as we have long been convinced that they are a distraction from learning and have the potential to fuel friendship issues or stir up unrest among students when used incorrectly.

We recently communicated our updated staged response to the management of student conduct. This outlines the process of confiscation for phones that are sighted by staff members. It states that if a student willingly hands over the phone, it may be collected from the staff member at the end of the day. If they refuse, this results in a red compass post which escalates the issue to be dealt with by the relevant sub-school and will ultimately result in parent pick up. This may also be the case for phones which have been confiscated on multiple occasions.

We acknowledge that many families rely on the use of the phone to make arrangements with their child, we ask that this be done outside of school grounds or with the assistance of the sub-school who can provide access to a phone during school hours.

As a school we are committed to being an environment where every student can achieve their highest potential. We are confident that excluding the use of smartphones helps to ensure that learning is the focus while students are at school.