More than 70 South Australian schools have already put their hand up to help parents delay giving children smartphones, as a new state-wide program prepares to roll out from next term.
The SA is investing $6.5 million to make the Wait Mate program available to every public and private school across South Australia, giving families practical support to hold off on introducing smartphones and helping parents connect with others making the same decision.
The program is designed to shift the pressure many families feel when children start asking for their own devices. Instead of leaving parents to make the call alone, Wait Mate encourages school communities to come together, take an online pledge, and support each other in delaying smartphones for children.
It comes as new research published in the international journal Pediatrics found children who own a smartphone by age 12 are at greater risk of depression, obesity and lack of sleep. The study, which involved more than 10,000 young adolescents, found the earlier a child received a smartphone, the more likely they were to develop these conditions.
The rollout will see Wait Mate deliver presentations to parents at all South Australian primary schools across 2026 and 2027, before expanding to high schools in 2027 and 2028. Take-home packs for parents and online resources for remote areas will also form part of the rollout.
The first group of host schools will be selected in coming weeks, with sessions to begin in Term 3. Gilles Street Primary School is among the schools already on the list for commencement.
Education Minister Lucy Hood said, “We are supporting parents to stand together to give their kids a smartphone-free childhood.”
“It’s heartening to see so many schools across the state wanting to get involved in the Wait Mate program and help connect like-minded families within their school communities.”
“Our Government has led the way in banning mobile phones in high schools and limiting access to social media – and this push to delay devices is another important measure we are acting on first to protect young people.”
“Our plan is to get kids active and off screens, away from addictive tech that impacts their learning.”
Wait Mate Director SA Emily Harrison said, “The response from schools across South Australia has been so strong, and it’s clear parents are ready for this.”
“Wait Mate is about making it easier for families to delay smartphones by backing each other, and when your school reaches out, we’d simply encourage parents to rock up and be part of it.”
At Gilles Street Primary School, principal Angela Van Enkhuyzen said, “At Gilles Street Primary, our parent community are very supportive of this program to delay the use of smart phones by primary school aged children.”
“We believe it’s important that children of this age learn about respectful relationships and boundaries in a face-to-face environment as the world of online or social media communication can be very confusing for them.”
Expressions of interest for schools to host a Wait Mate session will continue throughout Term 2.
For more information, click here.
