Australian Education Union state president Andrew Gohl previously told InDaily the Government’s promise to prohibit phones across public schools was “populist politics” and would cause issues for teachers policing it.

But Gohl today said his view had “shifted” following a series of videos showing Golden Grove High students brawling, with other students filming, egging on and sharing on social media.

“The way this is being used, the impact it has on the victims – that’s now a permanent record out in the electronic sphere for them and I think that’s heartbreaking,” he told InDaily.

“Have I shifted my view on this? I guess I have.

“I think that there needs to be some sort of solution to the current problem and at the moment a ban probably seems like a good idea if this is the way that students are going to use (mobile phones).”

A still image from one of the fight videos. Supplied

InDaily first revealed the violence problem two weeks ago, after obtaining videos of three separate brawls at Golden Grove High in as many weeks – filmed and shared among students – but has chosen not to publish the videos, instead selecting still images and obscuring faces.

More videos have since come to light, with the Government introducing a suite of measures at the school to try to stem the violence – including security guards when school returns after the holidays, an experienced mentor to help the school’s leadership, a parent liaison officer and a specialist behaviour coach.

In the videos, students shove, kick, punch and grab each other, often watched by a crowd of their peers.

A still image from one of the fight videos.

In some of the videos circulating, teachers attempt to intervene but make little difference.

The Government says at least 20 students have been suspended over the incidents, including perpetrators and bystanders.

Currently, individual high schools make their own decisions about how to manage mobile phones, but the Government is investigating how it will introduce a statewide public school mobile phone ban, to meet a previous promise made in opposition in 2019.

Mobile phones are already banned in SA government primary schools.

Private schools can make their own decisions.

At Golden Grove High, Year 7 and 8 students are required to hand their phones in at the start of each day and get them back when they leave at the end of the day.

That restriction will be extended to Year 9 students from next year.

Students in Year 10 and above at the school are allowed to have their phones with them during the day but are supposed to put them in a phone tray at the front of the room for each lesson.

Gohl said the school should consider introducing a blanket phone ban sooner rather than later – ahead of a statewide ban – to get on top of the problems.

“Might be something they would want to consider given the situation and do what they can to get it under control,” he said.

Regarding a statewide school phone ban, Gohl said his concerns about teachers being required to be “phone police” could be alleviated by students using lockable electronic pouches for students to put their phones in at the start of the day.

Some schools in SA already use these.

“That seems to be effective – there’s one solution, which then assures that teachers don’t have to be the guards or the mobile phone police,” he said.

“That’s a fairly simple way of managing that particular problem.”

A lockable mobile phone pouch developed by Yondr. Photo: Yondr

Gohl said despite now supporting a ban, he still believes phones can be useful research and learning tools for students.

“But… they’re not being used for good in these cases in these schools, they’re being used for the bad things,” he said.

“These schools in the short to medium term need to be able to get that under control.”

A still image from one of the fight videos.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the recent incidents at Golden Grove High highlighted the importance of the policy to ban phones across schools.

He said the statewide ban would begin from the start of next year and be “fully implemented” from the start of Semester 2.

“The Education Department has undertaken an initial targeted consultation with stakeholders including the South Australian (Secondary) School Principals’ Association to look at how we implement this important reform, including how storage could work,” he said.

“Some schools have already purchased storage such as pouches – and the policy will give schools the ability to make local decisions about the storage that best suits their needs.”

Boyer said a draft policy would go out to schools at the start of next term for further feedback.

“What was clear in the initial consultations is that young people need to be supported to learn how to use devices safely and ethically and be prepared to live and work in the digital age,” he said.