Mobile Phone Ban Working, Say School Principals

The ban on mobile phones in New South Wales schools is working, according to a survey of almost 1,000 principals.

Students in France use their cellphones after viewing the results of the baccalaureat exam (high school graduation exam) on July 7, 2015 at the Georges Brassens secondary school in Paris. Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images

The New South Wales state government’s 2023 decision to ban mobile phones in thousands of public school classrooms is working, according to a survey of more than 1,000 principals—95 percent of whom reported positive results.

The survey, conducted by the state Education Department, found 81 percent of principals agreed student learning had improved, while 87 percent said students were less distracted in the classroom, and 86 percent said socialising had improved.