Mobile smart phone technology offers us useful functions that can enrich our learning, enhance our connection with people, and improve administration of our lives.  

Many children, families, and educators work collaboratively to ensure that smart phone use is constructive, measured and not negatively impacting wellbeing. 

In the ACT, each public high school's policy on mobile phones is left to the discretion of the principal. To optimise learning, many ACT public high schools ban mobile phones in the classroom only, although compliance can vary within and between schools. 

This differs from several other jurisdictions. Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania all have policies which support phones 'off and away all day', and South Australia and New South Wales have plans to transition to similar policies in 2023. Note these policies have sensible exemptions related to student's health, disability and/or individual circumstance. They can also allow for the use of mobile phones in specific classes at the request of the teacher.

If you would like to support high school children in ACT to look up, rather than down at school recess and lunch, please sign this petition. In doing so, you are indicating support for an 'off and away all day' mobile phone policy in ACT public high schools.

This petition is not against mobile phones, nor is it against children learning to use phones responsibly. It’s in favour of giving all public high-school children the opportunity to have their recess and lunch free of phone distractions (notifications, photos, videos, apps). A chance to talk, walk or play in person.