WA primary school students to go ‘back to basics’ with pilot program to ban unnecessary screen time

Key points

• The WA Government will run a six-month pilot in 10 public schools that limits screen use for kindergarten to Year 2 students from term one, 2027. Screens will only be used where needed to learn digital technology skills or prepare Year 2 students for NAPLAN testing.
• Participating schools will receive $50,000 for screen-free resources such as books. WA Education Minister Sabine Winton said technology must be balanced with hands-on learning.
• The move follows federal concern about falling education scores, with Victoria and NSW also capping classroom screen time.