Education ministers from across Australia are set to discuss potential measures to reduce screen time in classrooms during their final meeting of the year on Monday. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare is advocating for what he terms a “digital detox” in schools, citing concerns over excessive use of devices and its impact on student performance.
Clare's push follows recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, which highlighted a decline in Australian teenagers’ reading and math scores. The report noted that students spend an average of 2.6 hours per day on classroom screens, significantly higher than the OECD average of 1.7 hours. Clare has pointed to international examples, such as Los Angeles and New York, where screens have been banned for younger students and restricted for older ones.
“We need a little less screen time and a bit more pen and paper in our schools,” Clare said in a recent interview. While he stopped short of advocating the complete removal of devices like iPads, he emphasized the importance of balancing technology use with traditional learning tools.
New South Wales is expected to lead calls for a return to pen-and-paper assessments in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), arguing that removing laptops from these tests will minimize distractions and better reflect core student competencies. The Minns government believes that this approach will provide a clearer measure of literacy and numeracy skills.
In addition to NSW, Victoria has introduced screen time limits that increase gradually with student age, while Western Australia plans to trial a ban on technology for students from kindergarten through Year 2 in 10 schools. However, the specific details of a national approach to limiting screen time have yet to be fully outlined.
Alongside discussions about digital screen use, ministers will also consider proposals from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to reform the national curriculum. These include measures aimed at reducing antisemitism and fostering national values, as well as changes to how mathematics is taught in primary schools.
Officials from the Department of Education indicated during Senate estimates that deliberations around screen time have been ongoing since the 2022 PISA results. The department has recently deepened its work on understanding the effects of technology on academic outcomes. Meg Brighton, deputy secretary for schools, noted that research suggests excessive screen use may negatively affect student performance, though the evidence does not support an all-or-nothing approach.
Separately, the Australian Education Research Organisation released guidance on artificial intelligence use in classrooms, cautioning that there is insufficient data to fully assess its impact on learning. Jennifer Donovan, the organisation’s chief executive, highlighted the need for more research to determine appropriate screen time limits, optimal ages for introducing technology, and effective ways to integrate AI into education.
The ministerial meeting will convene virtually, bringing together federal, state, and territory education leaders to address these multifaceted issues as they seek strategies to balance technological innovation with educational outcomes.