The crackdown, effective from the start of Term 3, 2023, means all public high school students must now switch off their devices and store them away during school hours, including at break times and on school excursions.
The 'off and away' policy has been introduced by the SA Government to reduce distraction in the classroom and stop some of the bullying that occurs through social media, to improve learning outcomes for students.
From today, the final 27 high schools will introduce the ban, meaning it will now be in full effect at all of the state's 158 public schools with secondary enrolments.
Some South Australian public high schools, including Area and B-12 schools, adopted the policy in advance of the statewide ban, with teachers reporting an increase in physical activity and involvement in extracurricular clubs, particularly at break times.
Norwood International High School Principal Jacqui van Ruiten said the school had worked closely with students and staff before the policy came fully into place, so everyone was prepared for the change.
"Our students are global citizens of a technologically rich world and while we acknowledge that mobile devices can provide a positive platform for learning, excessive use can negatively impact on physical and mental health, social interactions, and attention to learning," Ms van Ruiten said.
"Our school also has more than 30 clubs and extracurricular activities available to our students, so there are plenty of options available for everyone as they reconsider the use of the time that might have been spent scrolling on mobile devices in the past."
The policy specifically bans all personal devices with the capability to connect to internet networks including mobile phones, tablets and smart watches, but does not apply to school-owned technologies or learning devices brought under Bring Your Own Device programs.
Principals can also approve individual student exemptions in specific circumstances.
Each school determines the best way to store students’ devices whether that be in their locker, schoolbag, lockable pouch, handed into the teacher or stored in another secure location.
The rollout of the policy is being supported through the State Budget with $515,000 to assist schools with practical requirements such as pouches, lockers or other infrastructure to implement the policy.
