New research from Macquarie University and academics across all 11 NSW universities, alongside new NSW screen-use limits, is prompting a closer look at when technology helps children learn and when less may be more.
For parents, the question is no longer simply whether children should use screens at school. With laptops and tablets now a routine part of many classrooms, a more useful question is: what does good screen use actually look like?
New research led by Macquarie University suggests the answer is more nuanced than simply counting minutes.
The university’s Best Practice in Screen Use for Education project surveyed students, parents, teachers, school leaders and pre-service teachers across NSW about how screens are being used for learning and leisure. The 350-page peer-reviewed report was produced by a 16-member research team representing all 11 NSW-based universities.
The researchers describe screens as an established part of modern life, noting that, “when used well, can advance student learning”, while also identifying risks including distraction, addiction and over-reliance.
That distinction matters for parents. The Macquarie survey report is primarily descriptive. It reports what students and adults said about current practices and perceptions rather than concluding that there is a single ideal amount of screen time for every child or classroom. Further focus groups and classroom observations are part of the broader project.
The research comes as concern about classroom screen use is becoming more visible.
The NSW Government says its research found that only 45 per cent of secondary-school parents and 32 per cent of primary-school parents felt the benefits of technology outweighed the disadvantages. Half of students surveyed also reported being distracted by screens in class.
For parents, that raises a more useful question than whether screen use is simply “good” or “bad”: what is the technology being used for, and what is it replacing?
A screen may be useful when it gives students access to something that would otherwise be difficult to achieve, such as creating multimedia, accessing digital resources or completing a task that genuinely benefits from technology. But a device being available does not necessarily mean it needs to be used.
That is increasingly reflected in NSW public schools.
From the beginning of 2027, NSW public schools will introduce limits on individual student screen use, starting at up to 15 minutes a day for Kindergarten to Year 2, rising to 30 minutes for Years 3 and 4 and 45 minutes for Years 5 and 6. For Years 7 to 10, the limit will be up to one-quarter of time per subject, while Years 11 and 12 will have a maximum of half the time per subject. The recommendations will become mandatory from 2028.
The new guidelines will also recommend at least one hour a day of learning using pen and paper. Schools will be encouraged to limit screen-based homework, with digital devices for homework not recommended before Year 5.
NSW Education Minister Prue Car said the government’s research indicates parents want screens to be used intentionally, “not the default.”
Importantly, the policy does not mean technology is disappearing from classrooms. NSW says digital literacy will remain part of the curriculum and that online tools will continue to be used where they provide educational benefits. Exemptions and adjustments will also apply for some students with disability, additional needs, English as an additional language, or personalised learning plans involving digital support.
Macquarie University’s second report from the project gives a glimpse into how researchers are examining screen use in real classrooms.
The Best Practice in Screen Use for Education: Classroom Observation Findings report is based on in-person observations of 68 classrooms and 57 hours of lesson time, covering Stages 1 to 6 and a broad range of learning areas. Researchers recorded how teachers and students used digital technologies and the extent to which students were engaged with their learning tasks.
That focus on what happens during a lesson is important. For parents, “screen time at school” can mean very different things depending on whether a child is actively creating, researching or practising a skill, or simply completing work on a device because the device is there.
Some schools are already taking a deliberately measured approach.
At Shire Christian School in NSW, every secondary student has a school-managed laptop, but the school says technology is intended to support learning rather than entertainment. It uses filtering and monitoring tools, keeps mobile phones switched off and stored during the school day, and says pen and paper continue to be used regularly, particularly because the HSC remains a paper-based examination. The school states: “We are mindful not to give students excessive screen time.”
It is only one school’s approach, but it illustrates an important distinction: reducing unnecessary screen use does not have to mean rejecting technology altogether.
For parents, good screen use at school may ultimately be less about a particular number of minutes and more about whether the device has a clear purpose.
Is it helping a child understand something better? Is it allowing them to create, investigate or practise in a way that adds value? Is the teacher able to keep students engaged? And is there still time for handwriting, reading from paper, discussion, practical learning, play and face-to-face interaction?
Those are the questions likely to matter as schools continue to work out the right balance between digital and more traditional approaches to learning.
Macquarie University’s broader project is expected to produce a Quality Screen Use Toolkit and guidance for students, parents, school leaders and teachers, as further findings are brought together.
For families trying to make sense of an increasingly digital school environment, that may be the most useful shift of all: moving the conversation from how much screen time to what the screen is actually helping a child learn.