Arabic version: المدارس الأسترالية تعيد النظر في استخدام الحواسيب المحمولة داخل الفصول
According to The Guardian, teachers, parents and policymakers are reconsidering the role of personal digital devices in Australian classrooms after more than 15 years of widespread laptop use. Federal education minister Jason Clare said there was “a good argument our kids need a digital detox” and reported being inundated with support from parents and teachers.
Victoria plans to abolish bring your own device programs in primary schools and limit screen use to 90 minutes a day for years 3 to 6 from January next year. High schools have also been instructed to introduce screen-free learning blocks. The policy follows concerns about distraction, concentration and student learning, although research directly linking screen use with performance remains limited.
The Rudd government’s Digital Education Revolution, launched in 2008, aimed to provide every Australian high school student with a laptop by 2011. Prof Therese Keane of La Trobe University said schools lacked necessary structures and support during the rollout, with limited explicit digital instruction and underqualified teachers. She said devices often became replacements for pen and paper rather than tools used for clear learning goals.
An international 2022 study of 15-year-olds found one in three students across OECD countries said they were distracted by digital devices in most or every mathematics lesson, while about one in four reported being distracted by other students’ devices. The study also found digital learning can have a role, depending on how technology is used.
Some schools are adopting more restrictive approaches. Castlemaine Secondary College ended its longstanding BYOD policy for year 7 students this year, replacing personal devices with school sets used only for specific learning outcomes and not taken home. Principal Justin Hird said 98% of parents supported the change, while staff reported better social interactions. Sydney Grammar, which has never operated a BYOD program, generally uses no devices in the average classroom on an average day.
