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 what the government says will limit classroom device use to no more than two hours a day.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll announced the policy on June 15, 2026. Reporting has described the move as a national first.

The change extends Victoria's school technology restrictions beyond mobile phones and into the structure of everyday classroom teaching.

The government said the policy is aimed at making classrooms calmer, reducing distraction and encouraging more teacher-led learning.

What the policy covers

The requirement applies to state secondary schools in Victoria. It does not remove devices from classrooms altogether, but it does set an expectation that each school will include planned device-free learning in its day.

The government said device-free learning could include whiteboards, paper, group debates, practical experiments or performances.

That gives schools a broad set of teaching methods they can use to meet the new requirement while still deciding how to structure lessons.

Carroll said final guidelines for teachers would be released in the coming months after consultation with schools.

Those guidelines are expected to spell out how the policy should work in practice, including how schools will interpret the two-hour limit.

Exemptions and specialist subjects

The government said exemptions will apply for students with disability or neurodiversity needs and for specialist subjects.

That means the policy is not absolute. Some students and some lessons will be able to use more device time where that is needed for access or for the subject itself.

The detail matters because the practical burden will fall on teachers and school leaders, who will need to balance the new cap against subject requirements and individual student needs.

The announcement also sits alongside Victoria's existing ban on mobile phones in state schools, which has been in place since 2020.

Reporting says the 2027 changes will also expand restrictions to include smartwatches and headphones.

How it fits Victoria's wider school policy shift

The secondary-school cap builds on an earlier Victorian plan for primary schools that is also due to take effect in 2027.

That plan includes a 90-minute screen-time limit for years 3 to 6 and minimal device use for prep to year 2.

Together, the policies show Victoria moving to tighten screen use across the school system, not just in one year level or one device category.

The state has framed the shift as a way to support more focused learning rather than simply eliminating technology from classrooms.

Support and questions

At least one school leader, Anthony Oldmeadow, principal of Ngayuk College in Kalkallo, publicly supported the move alongside the government.

Education experts have also welcomed the idea of more device-free teaching, while raising practical concerns about enforcement.

The main unanswered question is how schools will measure and record the two-hour limit in day-to-day practice.

Another open question is what happens if a school exceeds the cap, and whether the government will issue binding rules or only guidance.

What happens next

The next formal step is the release of teacher guidelines in the coming months.

Schools will then need to work out how the policy fits into timetables, lesson design and exemptions for individual students.

Observers will also be watching whether non-government schools follow Victoria's lead voluntarily and whether other states move toward similar limits.

For now, Victoria has signalled that device-free learning will become a formal part of secondary-school classroom practice from term 1, 2027.