Phones away for the day
Find advice and guidance to support your school or kura to implement student phone rules.
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Summary
All state schools and kura are required to prohibit students from accessing or using mobile phones while they are attending school. .
There is some flexibility in how you implement the regulations based on your school’s circumstances and the needs of your learners and their whānau | families.
What is required
The regulations require that:
Schools must ensure students do not use or access a phone while they are attending school, including during lunch time and breaks. This includes students who are on a school course or visit outside the school grounds.
Schools must allow students to use or access a phone when:
- a phone is needed for health reasons (for example, to monitor insulin levels) or
- a phone is needed to help a student with a disability or learning support need (for example, to assist with impaired communication) or
- a teacher requires students to use phones for a specific educational task or purpose (for example, for a class assignment) or
- the principal decides that they are needed for special circumstances (for example, the student is a teenage parent).
Consulting on bylaws (school rules)
Your board must consult when considering making a new school rule or making a change to an existing school rule.
Consulting on bylaws (school rules)
In consulting with your community on these bylaws, you may include details such as how your school will:
- store or keep phones safe
- respond to breaches of the rules
- manage exemptions
- update and review your rules.
Consultation will help identify any concerns ākonga and your community may have so you can work together to address these.
Consultation support
Consultation guidance is available in the recently published Te Whakangārahu Ngātahi toolkit on school planning and reporting.
Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa also offers consultation support.
Advice and support – Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa(external link)
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