Posted by 
Opinion: There are some ideas that you think, why hasn't this happened earlier? It makes so much sense. Why isn't it happening now?
Allowing Aged Care and Disability Pensioners to work more hours without being penalised in the middle of a jobs crisis is one.
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that change after the Jobs and Skills summit in Canberra.
If either party had introduced that plan during the federal election it would have guaranteed them more support. It's a guaranteed vote winner. It makes so much sense.
It's the same with banning mobile phones in schools.
NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns is taking this idea to next year's state election, and he'll have teachers and parents – anyone with kids in their lives – cheering him on.
It makes so much sense, so why isn't the NSW Government doing it already?
Mobile phones have no place in the classroom. There is plenty of other technology that students can use for their learning.
'Phones are constantly pinging and vibrating and alerting you to something new. Most ADULTS can't keep them out of their hands – I'm as guilty of that as anyone. So how can we expect kids to not be distracted by phones when they're meant to be learning at school?'
Most high schools have a bring your own device policy for laptops, and help for students who can't afford them, so the excuse that kids need their phones for their learning doesn't cut it.
And phones have no place in the playground either. If you've been past any school at lunchtime or recess where phones are allowed, the kids aren't kicking the ball around or chatting. They're on their phones. Guaranteed.
Phones are already banned in all NSW Primary schools, and parents have been calling on the NSW Government to do the same in all High Schools. So why haven't they?
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell argues the current policy of letting secondary schools set their own rules works. She says she trusts individual High School principals to get the balance right, with many having some sort of restriction on phones already.
But if that's the case, why not make it a blanket ban to take away any doubt?
And this argument that phones are part of kids' lives and they should learn to use them responsibly is all well and good, but phones are DESIGNED to get you to use them, and keep using them for hours and hours on end.
Phones are constantly pinging and vibrating and alerting you to something new. Most ADULTS can't keep them out of their hands – I'm as guilty of that as anyone. So how can we expect kids to not be distracted by phones when they're meant to be learning at school?
Labor leader Minns is on a winner with this idea, and it's something the NSW government should bring in as a matter of urgency.
Source: 9News
