Students at exclusive Sydney private school ban THEMSELVES from using mobile phones 

Students at exclusive Sydney private school ban THEMSELVES from using mobile phones

  • Students of Wenona girls school were asked how they would deal with phone use
  • They decided a ban was necessary to avoid abuse, cyber bullying, and addiction
  • The new guidelines also apply to teachers, who cannot use phones in meetings

Students of an elite girls school have done the unthinkable and banned themselves from using phones at school – and the rules also apply to teachers.

Principal Briony Scott of Wenona girls school in North Sydney wanted to get the students opinion on how to deal with risks and issues associated with mobile phone use in schools, The Australian reported.

Principal Briony Scott (pictured) of Wenona girls school in North Sydney wanted to get the students opinion on how to deal with risks and issues associated with mobile phone use in schools

Dr Scott said she sought the students opinion because she doesn’t believe in the idea of banning things.

‘I don’t believe in banning, by and large. I find the language problematic and I don’t like that it’s punitive,’ she said.

‘But effectively we’ve got to the same outcome. The difference is we’ve got buy-in from students.’

The principal asked student leaders how they would deal with issues that arose with digital devices, such as cyber bullying, the potential for addiction, and anti-social behaviour.

The student representative council put a mobile technology code together in response, effectively banning themselves from using devices at school.

The principal asked Wenona student leaders how they would deal with issues that arose with digital devices, such as cyber bullying, the potential for addiction, and anti-social behaviour. The student representative council put a mobile technology code together in response, effectively banning themselves from using devices at school (pictured: Wenona girls school)

The principal asked Wenona student leaders how they would deal with issues that arose with digital devices, such as cyber bullying, the potential for addiction, and anti-social behaviour. The student representative council put a mobile technology code together in response, effectively banning themselves from using devices at school (pictured: Wenona girls school)

Guidelines dictate that phones cannot be used during school hours without permission from a teacher, or unless it’s for safety reasons.

Students are also not allowed to wear headphones or text while walking to and from school.

Pupils cannot use devices to cheat or plagiarise, or to disrespect anyone else, and permission must be granted before posting images of another student online.

Teachers have also been requested to turn their phones off during meetings.

The state of Victoria announced in June that mobile phones would be banned in all government primary and secondary schools, and the NSW government announced state primary schools would also be enforcing the ban.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk