A Sydney private school will ban its primary students from using smartphones from next year, telling parents to instead buy Nokia flip phones for students.
Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, said the move came in response to the government’s social media ban for under 16 year old’s, which goes into effect on Wednesday.
“We commonly have to deal with issues that have arisen from inappropriate smartphone usage when travelling to and from school, particularly on public transport,” Michele Marquet, the head of the school’s junior school, told parents on Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
At Cranbrook, students are not allowed to use phones during school hours, but students in years 3 to 6 are permitted to have a phone for when they travel to and from school.
Under the new policy, which goes into effect next year, the phone students can use before and after school will have to either need to be a Nokia 2660 Flip 4G or Opel Mobile Flip Phone.
Both phones retail for under $100, with prices ranging depending on the outlet.
“[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.
Cranbrook will join other schools in banning smartphones for students in certain grades, including Sydney girls’ private schools Queenwood, in Mosman, and Pymble Ladies’ College, in Pymble.
Students at 80 Western Sydney Catholic schools will also be banned from using mobile phones from the beginning of the 2026 school year.
“Though the majority of our schools already have a phones-off-and-away approach, it’s important to make clear that this is the right approach for all our students,” Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Chief Executive Officer Jack de Groot said in a statement last month.
“Of course, there is a place for mobile phones in our lives, but that’s not at school.”
Phones have also been banned in all NSW public schools.
Under 16 social media ban
The social media ban for under-16-year-olds kicks in on Wednesday and will force platforms to verify users’ age.
Platforms could be slapped with a fine of up to $32.8 million if they fail to comply.
The 10 platforms covered by the restrictions so far include Instagram, Facebook, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube.
Some, such as live-streaming platform Kick, blur the lines of what constitutes social media, drawing further criticism from the ban’s opponents.
eSafety has flagged that more platforms are being considered.
Some companies have started telling teens to download their data and prepare for their accounts to be frozen.
Snapchat last week said that from December 10, all users thought to be under 16 will need to verify their age via a bank using ConnectID, government-issued photo ID or selfie.
The selfie would be checked using facial age estimation technology.
Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram, Threads – also announced similar measures.
Government ‘confident’ on social media fight
Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Sunday the government is “confident” it will win a High Court challenge against the social media ban, after 15-year-olds, backed by digital rights activists, launched a bid in the country’s top court last week, accusing Canberra of trying to “silence” them.
The court has agreed to hear the case.
Wells told Sky News she felt positive about the government’s odds.
“We are working with the Solicitor General on the High Court challenge that we have before us at the moment, and we’re really confident that we can put forward a very strong case and be successful,” she said.
“I’m going to be spending the summer working on that High Court case to make sure that this law is upheld.”
In announcing their challenge, plaintiffs Noah Jones and Macy Neyland said the ban was “lazy” policy and would drive teens to set up “fake profiles”.
“We’re disappointed in a lazy government that blanket bans under-16s rather than investing in programs to help kids be safe on social media,” Jones said.
“They should protect kids with safeguards, not silence.”
Neyland also charged the ban hampered political discourse among future voters.
“Young people like me are the voters of tomorrow,” she said.
They lodged their constitutional challenge with the help of the Digital Freedom Project.
News.com.au has contacted Cranbrook’s junior school for comment.
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