Education Minister Erica Stanford moves on school cellphone ban, an hour a day of maths, reading, writing

School students will officially be banned from having their cellphones at school from term 2 next year, but the Government expects most schools to do it themselves from term 1.

Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the ban would apply from term two, by which point all schools would be required to have a cellphone policy in place.

“While the policy officially takes effect from Term 2 2024, it is our expectation that most schools will implement the policy from Term 1.”

Schools could decide for themselves how to apply the policy.

“Options that have been successfully used in some schools include having students hand in their cellphones before class or leaving them in their lockers or bags for the day. Exemptions will be allowed for students with health conditions or in special learning circumstances.”

Schools had also now been directed to implement National’s policy for primary and intermediate schools to deliver at least an hour a day of maths, reading and writing would apply from term 1 next year.

And Stanford announced a Ministerial Advisory Group of educational experts was being set up to review the primary school English, maths and statistics curricula.

The cellphone and the hour-a-day policy were both in National’s campaign manifesto and in its 100-day plan.

Stanford said National’s target was for at least 80 per cent of students to be at the standard expected in the school curriculum by the time they finished intermediate.

Stanford said while many schools were already offering the hour of maths, reading and writing, it needed to be applied consistently across schools.

She expected removing cellphones from schools would reduce distractions.

“New Zealand schools and overseas jurisdictions that have already imposed restrictions on cellphones in the classroom have reported better concentration and engagement in class, and an improvement in student achievement and wellbeing.”

Stanford said the intention of the review was to build on the work that had already been done, rather than to start over.

“The aim is to ensure teachers have the clarity and tools needed to teach these core subjects brilliantly. Work will be done in the first half of 2024, ready for implementation in 2025.

Some schools will have longer to implement the hour-a-day policy, including kura kaupapa which have until Term 3 2024 - an extension given to allow for consultation.

Specialist schools will have an extra year to implement it to ensure the model used is the best for their students.