While National leader Christopher Luxon is likely to have the backing of a majority of voters, views differ widely, including among school principals.
The proposal raises two fundamental questions.
First, should mobile device use, with a few exceptions, be prohibited in schools? This might include during breaks as well as class time.
Second, should that decision be mandatory across the country, or should it be left in the hands of school communities?
There is growing evidence for banning phone use, a policy already adopted by many New Zealand schools.
A recent Unesco report says devices disrupt classroom learning, expose pupils to cyberbullying and affect pupil privacy. One in seven countries had banned smartphone use. These include the Netherlands and France. Academic improvement followed, notably for low-performing pupils.
Australian states have also been introducing bans.
New Zealand schools forbidding smartphone use are not turning back.
Otago Boys’ High School rector Richard Hall said the school’s ban had been positive. It had led to pupils talking face-to-face and playing in the playground. There had been a decrease in online issues.
Pupils turned their phones off and left them in their bags.
Waitaki Girls’ High School principal Sarah Hay said its ban had been ‘‘very successful’’.
Secondary Principals’ Association president and principal of Papatoetoe High School Vaughan Couillault believed the plan was not necessary because schools could make their own choices. He spoke about what he saw as practical difficulties, citing the time collecting thousands of phones in a large school.
Other people have claimed more disciplinary issues could be created. In fact, the reverse applies. Once rules and expectations are established, fewer such matters arise.
In one large primary school, phones are placed in a box and collected at the end of the day. In several secondary schools, the phones stay with pupils but are turned off.
Some schools allow their use during breaks, and others do not.
The issue of contact with parents and after-school pick-ups is sometimes raised. Emergency contact can take place through teachers or the traditional way, the school office. Phones would be ready to use after school.
Sensibly, National’s policy says it would be up to schools how they enforced the ban.
There will always be exceptions, as would be allowed, for pupils with particular needs.
Otago Secondary Principals’ Association president and South Otago High School principal Mike Wright said there were some risks associated with the ban. While phones were a distraction, they were also useful tools at times.
While Mr Hall believes a national regulation would work well — it would save every school the rigmarole of consultation and policy formation — Mr Wright said it was important for schools to have a say in what worked for their individual communities.
It is ironic that National and not Labour — with its stronger tradition of centralised decision-making — plans a mandatory policy. It is Labour leader Chris Hipkins who is now saying it should be up to individual schools to make the decision.
This is a finely balanced question.
If, as seems to be more apparent, strict mobile device policies make a significant difference in learning, social and mental health outcomes, then the argument for a nationwide policy is strengthened.
At least, National’s plan has encouraged more debate about smart-device use. Smartphones are, without a doubt, extremely useful. However, their downsides are becoming more and more apparent.
It is not as if pupils will be cut off from technology-assisted learning. Chrome Books and iPads, over which the school can have more control, are still used in schools.
Of course, adults and parents are often phone hypocrites, becoming addicted and distracted themselves while advocating controls for young people.
Phones are addictive, impede attention and take a heavy toll on mental health.
Even if the compulsory policy does not come to pass, schools should be encouraged to pursue strict smart-device (which includes smart watches) policies.
