New data on South Australia’s “off and away” mobile phone policy for schools continues to show huge improvements in student behaviour and wellbeing.
Incident reports to the Department for Education show there has been a 72 per cent decline in matters related to mobile phone use in terms 1 and 2 of 2025, compared to the same period in 2023 before the ban was in place.
Issues related to social media have also seen a drop of about 80.5 per cent from the first half of 2023, when the policy was implemented, to the same time this year with incidents plummeting from 154 down to 30.
Behaviour issues have decreased by 60.3 per cent over this time, from 111 down to 44.
Analysis also shows that most of the issues reported in these categories have taken place off site or outside of school hours.
South Australia has the nation’s strongest mobile phone ban, requiring students to turn their phones off and put them away for the whole day, including during breaks.
This has played a significant role in helping with anti-social behaviour at schools and reducing incidents.
Additionally, more students are feeling a greater sense of wellbeing and school connectedness, according to the most recent Wellbeing and Engagement (WEC) Collection student survey.
About 88,800 (73 per cent) South Australian public school students took part in the survey across 476 schools. Of those surveyed, 61 per cent reported feeling strongly connected to school in 2025, an increase from 59 per cent in 2022.
High wellbeing related to connectedness to school among Year 7 to 9 students rose from 51 per cent in 2023 to 54 per cent in 2025, and among Year 10 to 12 students, it increased over that time from 54 to 58 per cent.
The results reflect a range of wellbeing measures introduced by the State Government, most notably, the mobile phone ban, but also a $50 million investment in 100 mental health and learning support specialists in schools, as well as more than 400 Autism Inclusion Teachers across primary schools.
Charles Campbell College Principal Kevin O’Neil said the school understood “the significant role that wellbeing has on student learning and engagement”.
“For several years now, we have used the student wellbeing survey results to develop a whole-school wellbeing plan with input from the students themselves,” Mr O’Neil said.
“Our students have really embraced the opportunity to have a voice at the table, and staff are seeing the benefits both in the classroom and the school yard.”
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