A Perth high school has introduced a mobile phone ban at recess and lunch for everyone – including teachers.
While schools across the country have prevented phone use in class for years, Scotch College has extended its recently introduced ban to recess and lunch.
Headmaster Alec O’Connell said too many senior students had been spending lunchtimes sitting glued to their devices instead of interacting with each other, The Western Australian reports.
"It’s not about becoming a Luddite school," he told Today Tonight.
"It’s simply about being in the moment and bringing back a bit of social connection around campus."
Dr O’Connell sent an email to parents at the all boys' school, informing them of the change. In it he said the move came in response to teacher's concerns about student's phone use becoming a greater distraction.
"This level of constant connectivity causes distractions that remove the focus from learning and reduces social interactions during recess and lunch," he wrote.
He told the show that staff - including himself - were included in the ban, which had the exception of using phones in an emergency.
Do you think mobile phones should be banned in the classroom and during breaks?
