Summarised by Centrist
Since banning cellphones, Auckland’s Mount Albert Grammar school has seen more students playing sports, talking to each other, and even breaking windows with rugby balls (oops).
Headmaster Patrick Drumm has noticed a significant cultural change since the school banned cellphones. Before the ban, students were glued to their screens during breaks, but now they’re up and moving.
“We’ve had to reinstall handball courts and even bring back rules for kicking rugby balls in the quad,” says Drumm. He’s happy to see the students returning to more active and social behaviours.
Drumm describes the move as a step towards “getting back to some of the good old ways of connecting with people.”
Concerns from parents about how they’d reach their kids have faded, with most feedback being positive.
While the school relies on students to self-police, Drumm notes they understand the reasons for the ban and are embracing it.
However, not every school has seen the same impact. Vaughan Couillault, principal of Papatoetoe High School and president of Secondary Principals’ Association New Zealand (SPANZ), has found the ban helpful in classrooms but tougher to enforce during breaks.
He believes the real issue is vaping. “Kids aren’t leaving class to use their cellphones; they’re leaving to vape in toilets,” he said.
