New Zealand’s National Party has pledged to ban screen and individual device use in early childhood education centres and limit screens in primary schools if re-elected, pairing the proposal with mandatory paper writing assessments and a new school readiness check.
Proposed Screen Bans and Classroom Limits
A re-elected National government would end screen and individual device use across all early childhood education (ECE) centres, according to policy details released by the party. The proposed Set Up for Success policy also targets older students by tightly limited screen and individual-device use for children in Years 1 to 3, alongside age-appropriate limits for older primary students, as announced this morning by National leader Christopher Luxon and education spokesperson Erica Stanford according to 1News.
Education spokesperson Erica Stanford argued that digital tools should not replace traditional learning methods, stating via 1News and the NZ Herald:
“Technology still has a place in education, but it should enhance learning, not become the default way children learn.”Erica Stanford, Education Spokesperson, via NZ Herald and 1News
Stanford added via 1News that the direction internationally is increasingly clear. Particularly for young children, digital does not automatically mean better.
The party points to international trends and research suggesting that digital tools do not automatically improve outcomes for young children. National cited a study from Singapore indicating screen exposure correlates with differences in brain activity, as well as separate research linking higher early childhood screen use to poorer academic performance and working memory. While those studies primarily measured viewing at home, the party argued they support a cautious approach in classrooms.
Mandatory Handwriting and Assessment Changes
Alongside the screen restrictions, the policy requires the writing component of twice-yearly primary school assessments to be completed on paper. Stanford emphasized the cognitive benefits of physical writing, noting that forming letters manually helps children process and retain information, explaining via 1News that greater emphasis should instead be placed on books, handwriting, conversation, and hands-on activities.
“There is also growing evidence about the importance of handwriting and learning by hand. Forming letters helps children learn and retain information. When children are first learning to read and write, that matters.”Erica Stanford, Education Spokesperson, via 1News
The policy places a renewed emphasis on books, conversation, direct interaction, and hands-on activities. These changes build on existing government actions, which already include a ban on cellphones in schools and ongoing legislation aimed at restricting social media access for children under 16.
Introducing the School Start Check
The ECE platform introduces a new School Start Check aimed at identifying whether children needed extra support before moving from ECE to primary school, alongside clearer developmental milestones and regular reporting on their progress. Stanford stated that teachers report an increasing number of new entrants arriving without fundamental developmental skills.
According to teachers reported by the NZ Herald and 1News, children are arriving at school having never held a pencil or scissors, without the oral skills they need, and many cannot identify letters in their own name. Stanford also noted that teachers are reporting more new entrants arriving without some basic skills, including being toilet trained or able to eat and dress independently.
The check is explicitly designed not to be a pass or fail test. Stanford stated that this is about setting expectations, not a “pass/fail test” and will never stop a child starting school. Instead, ECE centres will work with parents to assess a child’s readiness for school, track developmental milestones, and children identified as needing extra support would be referred to the Early Intervention Service.
Political Opposition and Sector Reactions
The policy drew mixed responses from political opponents and education advocates across New Zealand.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins dismissed the proposal as a solution looking for a problem.
All of the evidence will tell you if you want to improve outcomes in early childhood education you focus on getting quality teachers in front of those kids.
Chris Hipkins, Labour Leader, via RNZ
Hipkins also accused the government of deregulating staffing standards in early childhood education.
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick expressed interest in examining the policy to protect developing brains from addictive digital design, but cautioned that the focus should not solely target children.
“We just, again, continue to be concerned about the fixation solely on younger people, to the exclusion of recognising and making accountable those who have responsibility for creating these devices and wiring the algorithms, which juice so much of our attention.”
Chlöe Swarbrick, Green Party Co-Leader, via RNZ
Early childhood advocates welcomed the framework. Kelly Seaburg from Advocates for Early Learning Excellence noted that the changes would help teachers better track and communicate student progress using New Zealand’s existing curricula, such as Te Whāriki and Kōwhiti Whakapae. However, Seaburg stressed that teachers will require adequate resources and guidance for the policy to succeed.
Questions Over Government Mandates
ACT leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour questioned the necessity of a government-mandated ban when individual facilities can already set their own rules.
What is the the logic of the government requiring it?
David Seymour, ACT Leader and Associate Education Minister, via RNZ
Seymour noted that his heart sinks when he sees young children glued to screens, but reiterated that nothing currently prevents early childhood centres from enacting screen bans independently.