Our College is currently reviewing our mobile phone policy which has been in place for a very long time. When the policy was last reviewed, 7 years ago, our College had very poor wi-fi connection and was in need of an overhaul of entire system to improve connectivity and download speed. That process was completed last year and we have seen a significant improvement in access to the system this year. In conjunction with that there has been a significant uptake in the BYOx platform with most students now having access to a device of some type other than a phone. Although phone cameras are still used in class and occasionally in media-style classes, most students have an alternative and the College is investigating the provision of more resources to support filming and photography in particular classes.

We are of course aware of the importance of the mobile phones to parents, in terms of communicating with their students for both safety and convenience. For this reason our review of the policy is certainly taking into account that parents value their students having access to a phone at the beginning and end of the school day.
There is no intention to hold students’ phones as an organisational practice or to assign all students a locker for their phone. It may eventuate that if students are found to be breaking the College mobile phone policy, that they may have to place they phone in a designated locker for which they are given a key. This arrangement is still pending the conclusion of the mobile phone survey of parents, teachers and students.

Mrs Angel, secondary principal, has sent information along with the survey link, so please take the time to read the PowerPoint and complete the survey. At present the prevalence of mobile phones is reducing our students’ ability to study, socialise with those around them and as one parent pointed out quite publicly, can even provoke fighting.

We look forward to your feedback which will be given due consideration with that provided by staff and students. It is our intention to have a revised policy in place for Term 4, 2020.