WA to Introduce Nation's Strictest Ban on Smart Glasses in Public Schools

Western Australia is set to introduce the nation's strictest ban on smart glasses in public schools, with the state's education minister announcing that the devices will be forbidden from being worn or stored on school premises.

The devices, which resemble ordinary glasses, allow the wearer to capture images, video, and audio with the press of a button, and have been nicknamed "pervert glasses" due to the difficulty in determining when they are in use.

New Rules to Take Effect

The new rules, which will take effect at the start of term 4, will apply to students, staff, parents, carers, and contractors, and will also extend to offsite locations where students and staff are representing their school, such as sports events and excursions.

"Smart glasses may look cool but there's absolutely no place in our schools or classrooms for them," Education Minister Sabine Winton said.

"We know the devices are becoming increasingly popular and increasingly accessible and cheap and there is a growing community concern about the risk of careless, criminal and malicious activity."

Push for Nationally Consistent Laws

Every state and territory has some form of restriction on personal mobile phones and devices, with some, including WA, banning their use during school hours.

The South Australian Greens are pushing for a statewide ban on smart glasses from places like schools, gyms, and swimming pools.

In response, South Australian Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Kyam Maher said he would seek advice from his department on the adequacy of current state laws.

He was also in discussions with the federal attorney-general about coming up with a plan for national consistent laws.

Exemptions and Prevention

Ms Winton said WA was going "a step further" than other states, as it would be the first to entirely ban the possession of smart glasses by anyone who stepped foot on school grounds.

The minister urged private and independent schools to also ban the devices, and said principals would be able to grant exemptions for students with special needs or medical conditions.

Ms Winton said the education department had not recorded any instances of smart glasses being used "irresponsibly" in schools, and said prevention was the key driver behind the ban.

"I just think it is a really important stance to take before this gets ahead of us," she said.

"We know these devices are becoming increasingly popular with kids … this is a preventive action to make sure that school principals can get on with their important role in leading their schools, and making sure that teachers can teach."