Australian state imposes caps on screen use amid declining results
As concerns mount that ‘brainrot’ is dumbing down students for real, one state government is taking drastic action with mandatory caps on how much time can be spent on a device in the classroom
READING LEVEL: GREEN
School students across one Australian state will be restricted to as little as 15 minutes screen time during lessons for the first time, as the NSW government takes drastic action to reverse poor testing trends.
To be introduced next year – and mandated* in 2028 – the new policy will also require students to learn using pen and paper for at least one hour a day. The Minns government will also limit screen time for homework as part of its back-to-books approach.
The move follows the release of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam results last week, which showed Australian high school students’ scores in maths and reading hit their lowest point on record.
PISA also found Australian students were nearly twice as likely to spend more than two hours a day using digital devices for learning as the OECD* average.
Under the new policy, time spent on laptops, tablets or desktop computers for online learning in public schools will be capped from Kindergarten to Year 12, with the most restrictions placed on younger students.
Preschoolers will be banned from any screen time, while digital lessons in Kindergarten to Year 2 will be limited to 15 minutes per day.
Year 3 and 4 students will be restricted to 30 minutes of online learning per day, while Years 5 and 6 will be limited to 45 minutes.
In high school, screen use in Years 7 to 10 will be capped at one-quarter of the time spent during a lesson for each subject.
Online learning for Year 11 and 12 students will be restricted to half a lesson per subject.
It is the first time caps for online learning during class have been introduced in NSW, but Education Minister Prue Car noted the government’s own research had shown that excessive screen use was a problem, with half of students surveyed reporting being distracted by screens in class.
While schools cannot control what students do at home, parents will be advised against allowing their children to use digital devices for homework before Year 5.
“An entire generation of students are increasingly living in an online world,” Ms Car said.
“We have a responsibility to ensure their health and education isn’t adversely* affected by excessive screen use. That means screens should not be the default*.
“When the research is telling us teenagers are spending as much as seven hours a day on screens, and we are seeing reading and writing skills going backwards for a whole generation of children, we have to act.”
The restrictions won’t impact digital literacy* learning, which will remain a core part of the curriculum, while exemptions* will apply to students with special needs or for whom English is not their first language.
Chatswood High School in Sydney has already taken the lead in shifting the focus from devices in class, with principal Robin Chand requiring students to use “handwriting” and “exercise books” for all subjects.
“There are so many cognitive* benefits, especially for our most vulnerable* students,” he said.
“We’ve had strong support from families and our school community with our teaching and learning, which is entirely centred on what is best for our students.”
Welcoming the new policy, NSW Health chief pediatrician* Dr Helen Goodwin said excessive screen use interfered with healthy growth and development.
“A healthy day for children and young people includes a mix of being active, getting enough sleep, and building active social connections with their peers and family,” she said.
“We know that too much time spent on screens impacts these important daily activities.”
The move follows Victoria’s June announcement of its own “eyes up, screens down” digital learning policy, to be implemented across Victorian state schools from term one, 2027.
While a blanket restriction does not yet exist at the federal level, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has advocated for a national “digital detox” in classrooms.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- mandated: brought in as a rule
- OECD: stands for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which is an organisation with 38 member countries, including Australia, that work together to promote economic growth and prosperity
- adversely: in a way that causes harm
- default: a standard habit
- digital literacy: the ability to use digital tools, including the internet, in a safe and effective way to find, create and evaluate information
- exemptions: official permission not to do something that others must do
- cognitive: mental processes like thinking, memory, learning and problem solving
- vulnerable: easily hurt or harmed
- pediatrician: a doctor who specialises in treating children
EXTRA READING
Surge in kids needing glasses
‘Digital detox’ a student success
Libraries lost from Aussie schools
QUICK QUIZ
1. According the NSW Education Minister Prue Car, research shows teenagers are spending how long on screens each day?
2. Online learning will be restricted to how many minutes per day across Years 3-4?
3. What about Years 5-6?
4. What proportion of surveyed students reported being distracted by screens when surveyed as part of the NSW government’s own research?
5. What should a healthy day for children and young people include, according to Dr Goodwin?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Help your teacher!
Create a list of at least five ideas that could help teachers think of fun homework activities that do not use devices. Next to each idea, write a sentence that explains why it is a great idea!
Time: allow at least 20 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability
2. Extension
Do you think that this story is really for parents and teachers, not kids? Write a very convincing letter to Kids News explaining your answer to this question. Don’t forget to include lots of good examples from the story and your own ideas to back up your points.
Time: allow at least 30 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability
VCOP ACTIVITY
To sum it up
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.
Think about:
- What is the main topic or idea?
- What is an important or interesting fact?
- Who was involved (people or places)?
Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.