Steve McCracken: Whangaparāoa College Principal on the Education Review Office report on the phone ban in schools

Students getting around a school phone ban could be chatting with family members. 

An Education Review Office report shows three-quarters of secondary school teachers believe the ban has improved student behaviour. 

But nearly half of students admit to using their phones in class, likely because family members were getting in touch. 

Whangaparāoa College Principal Steve McCracken told Ryan Bridge most schools have other systems in place for families to contact students during the day. 

He says the report shows parents want to connect with their kids, but they're setting them up to fail if they contravene the ban. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bullying is down, classroom learning is up, and who do
we have to think? What do we have to think
banning the cell phones? The ERA report out today shows
the cell phone ban is working. However, it also found
half of high school students aren't following the rules. Steve
mccrack and Funga put our college principal and before sixteen
expert Advisory panelment joins me. Now, Steve, good morning, good morning, right,

(00:21):
good to have you on the show. So this is working?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah? Absolutely. I mean we saw an instant I suppose
you call it from our students as we implemented the
ban and changed things in our school overnight. And it's
glad to see the reports highlighted that as.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well in your school because it talks in the report
about teachers not enforcing the ban and if the best
thing you can do to have the band be effective
is to enforce it, do you have teachers who don't
enforce it.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Look, our staff are amazing in terms of being able
to enforce things, and I think that comes down to
having solid systems in place for each school. I know
that teachers have individual opinions and things, but this is
a mandated thing from our government and you see from
the report that it's working as well.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Steve, is what happens. Is it just in the classroom
and the learning where behavior is getting better, or does
it spill over into other you know, into the playground.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
It schools over everywhere. I mean, you've phone free from
the time you enter the school gate to the time
you leave. So yeah, everything's improved in terms of this
particular initiative from the government, and it's been really positive rightan,
But I'm supposed the biggest concern that we see, as
you know, at the end of each school day in
across any school in the country, as you're driving past,
I'm sure you'll be able to see them automatically reach

(01:37):
down and try and get that instant social media or
phone facts as they're walking out the school gate at
three thirty every day.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, which I mean is going to happen the smart watches.
When did this happen? Everyone was like, Oh, they'll just
get smart watches and they'll get laptops and they'll do
things that way.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Are you seeing that? Yeah? And I think that's come
through in the report as well, hasn't it. It's that's
possibly the next iteration where you know, students aren't stupid
and they really do want to stay connected, and I
get that, but yeah, the smart watches, the ability to
connect via their laptops or chromebox or whatever. There is

(02:15):
still a possible issue that schools are facing as well.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
And Steve, when you know, when it comes to why
who they're messaging? Are they messaging each other? Because it
says in the report a lot of the kids reckon
they're messaging their family. Do you reckon that's just to
be a you know, I'm messaging my mom like it's
a lie? Or are they actually in which case, what
are the parents doing?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Well? That's a fantastic question, Ryan, But I think that
the students are pretty honest and this one, and from
what I understand it is a bit of parent education
needed as well, just around you know, kids are safe
at school and they're doing pretty well at school, is
the report finds as well, and you know there is
some education needed possibly around how to connect or communicate

(02:55):
with their students during the school day. But I mean
most schools, I think all the schools that I've spoken
to in particular, have solid systems in place where if
a parent needs to contact the student during the day,
they call the office and the message goes through to them.
But yeah, it's still a need I suppose for parents
and the report that says we still want to connect

(03:16):
with our kids. But yeah, the phone free during the day,
you're seeing your kid up to sail if that happens.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Steve mccrack and Fungapower College Principle.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
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