Experts are urging governments to focus on the quality of students’ technology use rather than screen time, warning blanket restrictions could affect learning, digital literacy and equity.
More than 120 Australian experts and organisations are calling for a rethink of growing pressure to restrict digital devices in schools, arguing policy should focus on how technology is used for learning rather than simply the amount of time students spend on screens.
The call comes in a new Position Statement led by University of Wollongong researchers Dr Karley Beckman and Associate Professor Tiffani Apps from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, in collaboration with the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.
The statement has been provided to state and federal education ministers amid growing debate about the use of digital devices in schools, including an online petition calling for device-free primary schools that has passed 27,000 signatures.
The researchers acknowledge concerns about students’ screen use but argue that the screen-time guidelines increasingly being used to support restrictions were not designed for school-based learning.
According to the University of Wollongong, current screen-time thresholds can be traced to advice developed in the 1990s for toddlers and television viewing. Neither the World Health Organisation nor Australia’s 24-hour movement guidelines sets a limit on learning-related screen use for children over five.
Dr Beckman said a focus on the number of minutes students spend using screens risks overlooking how technology is being used.
“The conversation right now is about screen time, but what actually matters for learning isn’t how many minutes a student spends looking at a screen but what they’re doing with it, why, and with whom,” she said.
The researchers also warn that blanket restrictions could have implications for digital literacy, particularly as Australia has recorded its lowest levels of digital literacy in 15 years.
The gap is wider for children from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations, according to the Position Statement.
The researchers argue that restrictions could disproportionately affect students who have less access to digital technology outside school.
“Restricting high-quality digital learning delays the development of essential digital skills and capabilities,” Dr Beckman said.
“Rather than addressing concerns about technology use, it postpones them and reduces opportunities to learn how to use technology safely and productively.”
Associate Professor Apps said the focus should instead be on the quality of educational technology being used in schools and how students are taught to use it.
“Nobody’s arguing that kids should be on devices all day, every day,” she said.
“The real questions are about the quality of education technologies we use in our schools, how we teach students to use these tools well and how we support teachers to meet students’ learning needs, interests and motivations.”
The Position Statement points to existing commitments to digital literacy in Australia’s national education goals, the national curriculum and professional teaching standards.
It also highlights children’s rights to be protected from, and participate in, digital and online spaces.
Rather than blanket time limits, the researchers recommend an evidence-informed and consultative approach to technology policy.
Their recommendations include evaluating the quality of educational technology, supporting teachers’ professional judgement and investing in digital and media literacy education for all students.
The statement comes as schools and governments consider how best to manage students’ use of devices, with the researchers arguing that policies should distinguish between different forms and purposes of screen use.
The full Position Statement has been published following its distribution to state and federal education ministers.