ACT public school students are enjoying their last few days of regular phone access before term one begins.
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Students from kindergarten to Year 10 will not be allowed to use any communication device during the school day, while college students can only use them during breaks.
Nine-year-old Deizel Gelonesi is not happy about the new rule, which will also stop him using a phone at any school events.
"I'd rather play games," he said.
"I can learn on my phone if I need to."
However, mum Robyn is a big fan of the phone ban.
"[They should be] learning, rather than playing games with their friends or getting distracted with social media," Ms Gelonesi said.
The ACT is the last jurisdiction to ban phones in public schools, a move welcomed by Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare.
"If you are on your phone you are not paying attention to the teacher," he posted to social media.
Smart watches and safety
Smart watches that can connect to the internet or telecommunication networks are also banned.
They can be stored for use before and after school.
Deizel has a smart watch which is set to operate after school hours.
It allows him to walk home from school each day without distracting him during class, Ms Gelonesi said.
The ACT Education directorate encourages students to keep devices at home but acknowledges some require them while travelling to and from school.
The directorate said parents could call the school's front office with any urgent messages, such as a change in pick-up arrangements.
Mum and daughter divide
Year 8 student Alisha Nair, 14, thinks the ban should only apply during class hours, not recess or lunch.
"They should allow kids to have the phone with them during school and let them use it during the break instead of just having a complete ban," she said.
"You can punish the kid for using it during class but not like during the break when there's no other things to do."
Alisha said she uses her phone to text her mum or play on if she doesn't have anything else to do during the break.
Mum Sonia Nair thinks the ban is "beautiful".
"They don't need phones, they can survive, they can live without it," Ms Nair said.
"The world's not going to end if they don't reply to their friends."
The ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association supports the ban, executive officer Veronica Elliott said.
"Most feedback indicated that parents, students and teachers all wanted mobile phones out of classrooms," Ms Elliott said.
Implementation issues
Year 10 student Zoe Hippit, 15, said she doesn't use her phone during class, but suspects the ban will be hard to impose.
"People are still going to find ways around it," she said.
"Teachers aren't very observant."
Zoe said banning phones would stop students using their personal hotspot, which could allow them to access social media and banned sites on their laptops.
"The more people that are off the phone, then everyone else will start to follow it," she said.
Dad Graham Hippit said the rule was "fantastic", as long as it worked.
"You've got to start somewhere. They should have brought it in years ago," he said.
Father of Deizel and 12-year-old Krusoe, Vince Gelonesi, said having a complete ban would help teachers control their classrooms.
He also said children were being exposed to unhealthy content through unsupervised internet and phone access.
"We're trying to grow them up being kids while they're still kids," Mr Gelonesi said.
Social life
Zoe's older sister Jasmin, 18, went to a private school with a phone ban until Year 10, before attending a public school in college.
After moving to a school without a phone ban, Ms Hippit said she noticed she was on her phone much more.
She supports the ban.
"It's also good for social aspects of school. You can't be on your phone, so you have to put yourself out there more to make friends," Ms Hippit said.
MORE EDUCATION:
Exemptions
A principal can give some students an exemption from the phone ban.
Students must need a device or assistive technology to manage a medical condition, or help meet caring responsibilities.
Neurodivergent students, or those with mental health conditions, can request an exemption.
Ms Elliot said students seeking exemptions will need evidence supporting their claims.
"Council doesn't want to see families rushing around to doctors and allied health professionals to provide another copy of evidence the school already has," she said.
Term one will be a transition period, and each school will have their own implementation plans. They will also have different arrangements regarding storing phones.