By law, state and state-integrated schools must have a policy about restricting the use of phones by ākonga | students during school time.
The rules in the policy apply at school and for students who are not on school grounds as part of a school programme. This could be a school course or visit.
You can see your school's policy on their website, or you can contact your school and ask to see it.
What the law says
The Education (School Boards) Regulations 2020 sets out the law about students' use of phones at school.
The Education Review Office (ERO) monitors schools' phone policies.
Exemptions
Some students may need to use a phone at school for health or learning needs, such as language translation.
Schools must allow students to use or access a phone when:
- a phone is needed for health reasons (for example, to monitor insulin levels if a student is diabetic)
- a phone is needed to help a student with a disability or learning support need (for example, to assist with impaired communication)
- the principal decides that they are needed for special circumstances (for example, the student is a teenage parent).
If your child needs to use a phone at school for one of these reasons, talk to your school.
Phones away – whānau FAQs
Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about the phones away for the day rules.
Phones away for the day - whānau FAQs