A growing number of schools in Nelson Mandela Bay are introducing a policy prohibiting devices such as cellphones, smartwatches and headphones on their premises in the new academic year.
The move has sparked mixed reactions from parents, with some welcoming the restrictions as a way to reduce distractions and improve pupils’ focus.
Others have, however, raised concerns that the ban could pose challenges, particularly for those who rely on their cellphones to arrange transport.
Some of these schools include Brylin High, Alexander Road High and Linkside High.
It has also been a long-standing rule at Clarendon Park Primary.
Brylin principal Genevieve Hollings said the decision was driven by ongoing challenges linked to cellphone usage on school grounds.
“We have had numerous issues in the past, including phones being confiscated, ringing during lessons, and even being stolen or going missing,” Hollings said.
“There were also concerns around POPIA [Protection of Personal Information Act] being breached, with learners taking photos of one another.
“By not allowing phones at all on school grounds, it also encourages parents to fetch their children on time.”
She said provisions were in place for exceptional cases, such as if a pupil needed to have a phone before and after school for transport issues or other emergencies.
It could then be handed in at the office and safely locked away until after school.
“Children don’t really know how to interact in person any more.
“They are used to communicating online and through social media.
“After school, many just sit on their phones instead of chatting with friends.
“We want them to build real relationships, with fewer distractions.”
In an interview with Mpuma Kapa TV, Linkside High principal Antoinette Roulstone outlined the school’s implementation plan for the policy, saying the issue of distractions in classrooms had been an ongoing challenge.
“We have been fighting the distraction of cellphones in classrooms for a very long time, and it has been part of our school’s code of conduct for a long time,” Roulstone said in the interview.
“Children are reminded every day, all day, that phones are not allowed to be visible in the classroom or in the passages.
“It has become such a struggle to see them unable to stick to those rules because of the compulsion to check their phones, to know what’s going on, what their friends have said on social media, or what the social media influencers are doing.
“It was really a coming together of our frustration and the problems that arose as a result of it.”
Clarendon principal Derryk Jordan said the school’s no-cellphone policy was firmly rooted in protecting a pupil’s social, emotional and cognitive development during their formative years.
“We do not allow cellphones at school as they dramatically hinder the development of the essential skill of face-to-face communication, and are a major stumbling block in the emotional and cognitive development of a primary school learner,” Jordan said.
“In addition, the use of cellphones at school is often a precursor to an increase in cyberbullying and social media concerns.”
Alexander Road High will implement the policy in term two and is in the planning phase at present.
Explaining the decision, principal Matthew Ridgway said research from Europe clearly showed the impact of banning smart devices.
“Teenagers lack the frontal lobe maturity to resist the efforts of social media algorithms to increase screen time,” Ridgway said.
“They get distressed when away from their phones and are distracted throughout the day by notifications.
“All this adds up to poor engagement with their learning and with their peers.
“Children will deposit their phones in a safe at the start of the day and only get them back once academics are complete for the day.”
Michael Wood, a concerned parent, said though he understood the intention behind the limitations, it was important that pupils were still equipped with the digital skills they needed beyond the classroom.
“We live in a digital age where technology is an essential part of every career path and modern communication,” he said.
“I hope that alongside this policy, the school continues to embrace positive, structured, and purposeful uses of technology.
“Learners need guidance not only on when to put devices away, but also on how to use digital tools safely, responsibly and effectively for learning and their future success.
“A balanced approach that reduces distraction while also building digital confidence and skills is what best prepares young people for the world they are growing up in.”
Provincial education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said smart devices had no place in the classroom due to the level of disruption they caused.
“Cellphones, headphones and smartwatches can be major distractions for learners,” he said.
“Though some classes, such as CAT, robotics, or coding, may require the use of certain devices, these should only be used during those specific lessons.
“It has been proven that learners already have short attention spans, and phones make it even more difficult for them to focus on their work when they are busy on their devices.”
Mtima noted schools should have parents’ contact details for emergencies, but stressed that pupils themselves did not need to have cellphones at school.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.