From the beginning of 2024, all Queensland state school students will have their mobile phones switched off and ‘away for the day’.
At Heatley State School, our mobile phone policy has always been that phones MUST be handed into the office before school and collected at the end of the school day - this has not changed.
The Department of Education has introduced this policy to standardise what is occurring across all state schools. Each school has the capacity to determine their own school guidelines within the Department's policy so it may look different in other state schools.
'Away for the day' will support our school to maintain a strong focus on educational achievement, and student wellbeing and engagement by:
providing optimal learning and teaching environments
encouraging increased face-to-face social interactions between students
promoting the health and wellbeing of students through increased physical activity at break times
reducing the potential for students to be exposed to the negative impacts of the digital world, resulting from unsafe or inappropriate technology use
For more information and frequently asked questions, visit the Department of Education's website or contact our school office.