The National Party’s promised ban on cellphones in schools has been touted by leader Christopher Luxon as a “common sense” and “practical” way to address New Zealand’s poor academic achievement.
And his claim that “phones are a massive disturbance and distraction” seems credible on the face of it. A recent UNESCO report found the intensive use of devices had negative impacts on student performance and increased disruption in the classroom.
App notifications throughout the day were found to be distracting students from their learning, affecting focus, recall and comprehension.
