MOBILE PHONE USE IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS

Running header: MOBILE PHONE BAN IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS 1
Mobile Phone ban in Australian Schools
Your Name (Student Number)
Unit Name & Code
Edith Cowan University
Date
Introduction.

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The use of mobile phone technologies has grown to impact the educational system
negatively. Cases of cyberbullying and data privacy among the students are exposing them to
malicious activities through their mobile phones (McDougall & Vaillancourt, 2015).
Furthermore, the students are often distracted by their cell phones during class hours and end
up losing a lot of class content (Chandrasena & Rajeswaran, 2019). Even more, mobile phone
usage increases the incidents of exam irregularities within the education system (Thompson,
Ansoglenang & Laar, 2019). Mobile phones and related technologies have also genuinely
brought some significant progress in the access to information which is beneficial in the
education system. This essay will observe the pros and cons of including the mobile phone in
the education system and a conclusion of why the Australian authorities are acting in the
students’ best interest by banning the use of mobile phones during school hours.
The pros and cons of including mobile phones in the education system.
The problem with mobile phones usage in schools is a new set of challenges educators
are facing as technology continues to stretch its hand of influence across all sectors of our
lives. According to Hurworth (2019), the new law will require students to store their phones
in their lockers from the beginning of school day to the end when they can retrieve it. Parents
attempting to reach their children will be required to communicate through their teachers.
France banned the use of mobile phones in their schools earlier in 2018 as a response to the
same negative impacts on their students in their learning institutions. The move by President
Emmanuel Macron restricted the use of all types of mobile phones, including smartwatches
and tablets for children under the age of fifteen during school hours (Baker, 2018).
While some parts of the world are rushing to curb the influence of mobile phone
technology in the education system, other countries are pushing for the use of mobile phone
technology in the classroom. Countries in East Africa, including Rwanda, have recently
introduced the use of tablets in their primary education system (Nyabuga & Nyasani, 2018).

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These countries have pumped in millions of dollars in investment to the tablets provision in
school due to the perceived advantages of mobile phone technology in classrooms. This shift
towards e-learning in some countries seems to embrace the effect of technology in the
education system. One such benefit is that e-learning is cheaper in the long run. Compared to
the cost of providing textbooks to each student, tablets save these governments a lot of
money. The tablets come with electronic copies of the books which are cheaper and do not
phase the effect of wear and tear hence saving on the cost of replacement.
Another advantage of the use of mobile phone technology in the classroom is that it
offers an exciting way for students to learn. Since children are drawn to these mobile
technologies naturally, they are often captivated by learning material delivered through
mobile technology. Apart from improving students’ computer literacy, the use of tablets in
school boosts their creativity through interactive drawing, music composition, and other extra
tools that come packed in the tablets (Jeong, 2016). The use of mobile technology helps with
faster visualization that stir the students’ imagination and cultivate the required skills. For
example, even mobile games such as Pokémon Go can be used to teach relevant map reading
skills. Research has shown that children learn better during activities they are wholly engaged
in thereby making mobile phone applications and games a great avenue to teach young
student’s relevant skills (Ko, Lee, Kim, Jung & Park, 2014).
The Australian government argues that restricting the students’ access to mobile
phones will decrease the cases of cyber-bullying in school-going children, therefore,
protecting their mental well-being. The increase in the access and use of mobile phone
technology has led to the rise in exposure to cyber-bullying. School going children are facing
bullying and victimization as a result of this increased penetration of technology.
Furthermore, school-going children are exposed to these practices at crucial development
stages in their lives that lead to negative development consequences (McDougall &