GuidesA closer look

Are phones allowed at school?

The rule on students' mobile phones at state and state-integrated schools: what it requires, when it started, the exceptions, who sets each school's policy, and how parents can help.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: Ministry of Education, Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) and Education Review Office.

What the rule says

Under the 'phones away for the day' rules, students cannot use or access their phone at school, including at lunch time and during breaks.¹ By law, state and state-integrated schools must have a policy restricting students' use of phones during school time.²

The law on students' use of phones at school is set out in the Education (School Boards) Regulations 2020.³ The regulation requires the board of a State school (other than Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu) to prohibit students from using or accessing mobile phones at all times while they are attending school.⁴

The school's phone rules apply at school, and also to students who are off school grounds as part of a school programme.⁵ That could be a school course or a visit.⁶

ERO describes the policy as saying students should not access or use their phones at all during the school day, including break times.⁷

When did it start?

Boards had to make sure the prohibition took effect no later than 29 April 2024.⁸ ERO says the 'Phones Away for the Day' policy was introduced in Term 2 2024.⁹

Who sets the school's own rules?

The board may do anything within its powers that it thinks is necessary or desirable to put the prohibition in place.¹⁰ Schools design their own rules and consequences to make sure the policy is followed.¹¹

You can find your school's phone policy on its website, or contact the school and ask to see it.¹² The Education Review Office (ERO) monitors schools' phone policies.¹³

What are the exceptions?

The regulations say the board must make sure the prohibition does not apply to a student to the extent that one of these applies:¹⁴

Health: the board is satisfied the student needs a phone for a purpose connected with their health.¹⁵
Disability or learning support: the board is satisfied the student needs a phone to assist them with a disability or learning support need.¹⁶
Teacher-directed use: a registered teacher decides the student needs a phone for a specific educational task or purpose.¹⁷
Special circumstances: the principal decides there are special circumstances that make a phone necessary, for example where the student is a teenage parent.¹⁸

Who can allow a phone

The board

Health: the board is satisfied the student needs a phone for a purpose connected with their health.¹⁵
Disability or learning support: the board is satisfied the student needs a phone to assist them with a disability or learning support need.¹⁶

A registered teacher

Teacher-directed use: a registered teacher decides the student needs a phone for a specific educational task or purpose.¹⁷

The principal

Special circumstances: the principal decides there are special circumstances that make a phone necessary, for example where the student is a teenage parent.¹⁸

The Ministry gives some everyday examples. Some students may need a phone at school for health or learning needs, such as language translation.¹⁹ The Ministry's examples include a diabetic student monitoring insulin levels, and a phone helping a student with impaired communication.²⁰

If your child needs to use a phone at school for one of these reasons, talk to the school.²¹

What has ERO found, and how can parents help?

ERO looked at how well schools were implementing the 'Phones Away for the Day' policy and calls its findings encouraging: removing phones has led to more focus in class, improved academic outcomes and less bullying. But nearly half of secondary students say they break the rules.²² ERO reports that messaging parents and whānau is the number one reason students break the rules.²³

ERO's suggestions for families: ERO suggests you could email your child's school account, or agree that urgent messages will go through the school office.²⁴ ERO also asks parents to support the school's enforcement of the rules, including when the school puts consequences in place.²⁵

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from an official page, quoted in full here.

Each numbered statement above is followed here by the words of the official page it comes from. Every quote was checked against its page on 5 October 2026.

“Phones away for the day rules mean students cannot use or access their phone at school, including during lunch time and breaks.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“By law, state and state-integrated schools must have a policy about restricting the use of phones by ākonga | students during school time.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“The Education (School Boards) Regulations 2020 sets out the law about students' use of phones at school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“The board of a State school (other than Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu) must prohibit students from using or accessing mobile phones at all times while they are attending school.”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“The rules in the policy apply at school and for students who are not on school grounds as part of a school programme.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“This could be a school course or visit.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“says that students should not access or use their cell phones at all during the school day – including break times.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“The board must ensure that the prohibition takes effect no later than 29 April 2024.”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“This policy, introduced In Term 2 2024, says that students should not access or use their cell phones”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“The board may do anything within its powers that it thinks is necessary or desirable to implement the prohibition.”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“Schools design their own rules and consequences to make sure this happens.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“You can see your school's policy on their website, or you can contact your school and ask to see it.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“The Education Review Office (ERO) monitors schools' phone policies.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“However, the board must ensure that the prohibition does not apply to a student to the extent that—”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“the board is satisfied that the student needs to use or access a mobile phone— (i) for a purpose connected with the student’s health”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“for the purpose of assisting the student in connection with any disability or learning support need”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“a registered teacher determines that the student needs to use or access a mobile phone for a specific educational task or purpose”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“the principal determines that there are special circumstances that make it necessary for the student to use or access a mobile phone (for example, the student is a teenage parent)”
Parliamentary Counsel Office (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2020/193/en… ↑
“Some students may need to use a phone at school for health or learning needs, such as language translation.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“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)”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“If your child needs to use a phone at school for one of these reasons, talk to your school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/digi… ↑
“ERO looked at how well schools were implementing the ‘Phones Away for the Day’ policy. Whilst the findings are encouraging – removing cell phones has led to increased focus in the classroom, improved academic outcomes, and a reduction in bullying, nearly half of secondary students say they break the rules.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“Messaging parents and whānau is the number one reason students break the rules.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“you could email their school account, or agree that any urgent messages will be delivered through the school office from now on.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑
“Support the school’s enforcement of cell phone rules. This is about making sure what you say to your child aligns with the school’s messages, including when the school puts consequences in place.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/insights-for-parents-and-whanau-cel… ↑