Australian students face high classroom disruption and digital distraction

The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results from the OECD indicate significant levels of classroom disruption and digital distraction among Australian students. Approximately 41 per cent of surveyed Australian teenagers reported noise and disorder during lessons, a figure 30 per cent higher than the average across industrialized nations.

Digital devices are a primary concern, with 39 to 40 per cent of students reporting distractions from smartphones, apps, and websites during lessons. Australian students use digital devices for schoolwork for an average of 2.6 hours per day, which is notably higher than the OECD average of 1.7 hours. Additionally, absenteeism is a major issue, with 44 per cent of students reporting they had skipped at least one day of school in the two weeks prior to the assessment.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has called for a “digital detox” to reduce screen time in schools, emphasizing the need for students to focus more on reading. While Australia remains a strong academic performer, the report notes that reading and mathematics scores have fallen to their lowest levels in recent years.