Eastern suburbs institution Cranbrook will ban its primary students from owning a smartphone from next year, with parents instructed to instead purchase a basic Nokia for students to use, as schools prepare students to lose access to social media apps next week.
While public schools do not break up until the week before Christmas, for private schools the government’s social media ban, which will disconnect children aged under 16 from platforms such as Instagram and TikTok on Wednesday, comes at the start of summer break.
Cranbrook joins Eton in the UK and a handful of private schools banning students from having smart devices, not just from using them, at school.
Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill has banned smartphones for primary school students. Credit: Wolter Peeters
“We commonly have to deal with issues that have arisen from inappropriate smartphone usage when travelling to and from school, particularly on public transport,” Cranbrook’s head of junior school, Michele Marquet, told parents on Monday.
Phone use during school is not permitted at Cranbrook, but primary students in years 3 to 6 are allowed to have one for travelling to and from school. Under the new policy, that phone must be either a Nokia 2660 Flip 4G or Opel Mobile Flip Phone.
“[We] believe that this adjustment will help ensure students remain focused on learning and engaged with their friends during the school day and also when they are travelling to and from school on public transport or on foot,” Marquet said.
“We also hope these clear boundaries will support parents as they continue to establish and reinforce healthy expectations around mobile phone use at home.”
Other schools to ban smartphones for some grades include Pymble Ladies’ College, Queenwood in Mosman and Frensham in the Southern Highlands.
Cranbrook head Dr Anne Johnstone said the review of phones in the junior school was made in response to the new social media legislation.
“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our parents, to help achieve the best educational outcomes for all our students,” she said.
Other schools have also moved to limit their use of technology within school hours from next year in response to the ban, including Waverley College, which will ban YouTube.
“Our goal is to block YouTube within the school environment, while still enabling teachers to access approved educational content when required,” Waverley College’s junior school director, Alanna James, told parents in September.
Students at 80 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta will be banned from using mobile phones in schools from 2026, two years after public school students were forced to comply with a similar ban.
Bede Polding Catholic College principal Greg Malone said there was merit in ensuring students’ focus was on learning.
“What our diocese is doing is saying there are no phones at school for all primary school students. In high schools, they must remain in their bag or away,” he said.
George Giovas sends his daughter Madeleine, 14, and son Peter, 17, to Santa Sophia Catholic College at Gables, in Sydney’s west. He bought them smartphones to help with the travel logistics associated with after-school sport.
George and Sonia Giovas with their children Madeleine, 14. and son Peter, 17 at their home in Beaumont Hills.Credit: James Brickwood
“There’s a place for telephones, but unfortunately, that’s not school during school hours … we’ve got to protect our kids, as well as our teachers too,” he said.
“If I had the choice, I would say, get one of those simple little flip phones that have got no [large] screens and can’t do anything, all you can do is make a phone call. That’s perfect.”
Giovas supports the social media ban but said the timing at the start of the school holidays was not ideal.
“I think the government has taken the easy road out here on the timing … school’s finished, so schools aren’t going to feel the impact of it. Mum and Dad are going to feel the impact.”
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