Victoria to cap secondary-school classroom device use at two hours a day from 2027

Victoria will require state secondary schools to build in device-free learning time from term 1, 2027, in a move that will effectively limit classroom device use to about two hours a day.

Education Minister Ben Carroll said the final guidelines for teachers will be released in the coming months after consultation with schools. The government has described the change as a national first.

The policy extends Victoria's existing restrictions on student technology use and moves beyond smartphones to cover laptops and other classroom devices used during teaching time.

What is changing

Under the new rules, state secondary schools will need to include parts of the school day where students are learning without devices. The practical effect will be to cap classroom device use at about two hours a day.

The change is due to take effect from term 1, 2027. It will also expand restrictions to smartwatches and headphones from the same time.

The government has already banned smartphones in Victorian state schools since 2020, and it had previously announced screen-time limits for primary students. Those rules include a 90-minute cap for years 3 to 6 and minimal screen exposure for prep to year 2.

Why the government is doing it

The Victorian government says the policy is intended to improve behaviour, calmness, mental health and classroom focus.

Supporters of tighter screen rules argue that reducing device use will limit distraction and push more teaching back toward non-device learning. The announcement comes amid a broader debate about how much screen exposure is appropriate in classrooms.

The government says the approach is aimed at changing the balance of classroom time rather than eliminating technology from lessons entirely.

Who will be exempt

The government says exemptions will apply for students with disability or neurodiversity who rely on technology. Specialist subjects will also be exempt where devices are needed for teaching and learning.

Those carve-outs are likely to matter in practice, because schools will still need to decide how the rules apply across different classes, year levels and learning needs.

The research packet does not yet include detailed final guidance, so several practical questions remain open, including how schools will count device time across lessons and how broadly the exemptions will be interpreted.

What schools still need to know

Carroll said the final teacher guidance will be released after consultation with schools, which means the operating details are still being worked through.

That leaves state secondary schools with a planning window before the 2027 start date, but also with unresolved implementation issues. School leaders will need to fit the device-free requirement into timetables, manage exemptions and adjust classroom practice without disrupting learning.

The new rules may also influence how teachers use laptops, tablets and other devices in mixed-format lessons, particularly where subjects rely on digital tools but not every student needs to be online at the same time.

Broader context

The move builds on Victoria's earlier school device restrictions and adds another layer to the state's education policy response to screen use.

It also follows a wider shift in the public debate over student technology, where the same devices that can support learning are also seen by ministers and school leaders as a source of distraction.

The policy has been described as a national first, which raises the possibility that other states will watch how Victoria handles the rollout before deciding whether to follow.

What happens next

The immediate next step is the release of more detailed guidance for teachers in the coming months.

After that, schools will need to translate the policy into daily practice, including deciding how to manage exemptions, how to measure device-free time and how to apply the rules alongside existing screen restrictions.

Open questions also remain about whether independent and Catholic schools will mirror the approach, and how homework devices will be treated if the rules are interpreted more broadly later on.

For now, the main confirmed shift is clear: from term 1, 2027, Victorian state secondary schools will have to make room for learning that is intentionally device-free, with classroom screen use effectively capped at about two hours a day.