As Australian education ministers consider how screens should be used in classrooms, North Lakes State College’s bring-your-own-device policy provides a local example of how schools incorporate technology into students’ learning.
Read: The Lakes College Student Takes Top Honour for Clever Water-Saving Idea
The college requires students in Years 4–9 to supply an iPad as standard school equipment through its BYOD program. Students in Years 10–12 have a different arrangement, with a laptop or iPad required under a hybrid model.
The published requirements come as education ministers consider changes to screen use and artificial intelligence in Australian schools. The national discussions have not, however, announced a change to North Lakes State College’s existing device policy.
Ministers agree to review classroom technology use
At their meeting on 2 November 2026, education ministers agreed that technology and artificial intelligence should be used in schools for purposeful, evidence-based reasons that support student learning and wellbeing.
Ministers also agreed to introduce, trial, or consider limits on screen use in schools. States, territories and school sectors will determine how those measures are implemented.
The meeting included an agreement to restrict student use of generative artificial intelligence in primary schools and in secondary student assessments. Ministers also established an Australian Schools Digital Detox Taskforce to advise on further practical steps to address screen and digital device use.
The taskforce will seek input from students, teachers, schools, researchers and industry experts. Ministers have agreed to keep digital devices and artificial intelligence on the meeting agenda until at least the end of 2027.
A paper published by the Education Department on 4 November set out the case for rebalancing technology use in schools. It said digital tools should advance learning and be supported by evidence, while making clear that the aim is not to remove technology from classrooms.
How Queensland’s device rules differ
Queensland state schools already have a procedure requiring students to keep mobile phones switched off and away during school hours. Notifications on wearable devices, including smartwatches, must also be disabled.
The procedure specifically excludes personal or school-owned devices, such as iPads, tablets and laptops, when they have been approved for educational use under a school’s BYOD arrangements. The distinction means the state’s existing mobile-phone rules should not be confused with the separate arrangements schools use to manage educational devices.
North Lakes State College’s enrolment information confirms the iPad requirement for Years 4–9 and the laptop-or-iPad option for Years 10–12. The page was last reviewed on 15 October 2026.
The college’s separate BYOD technical page contains older device guidance, including specifications last reviewed in April 2025. It lists operating system, storage and screen-size requirements, but those details should not be treated as current purchasing advice without confirmation from the college.
The enrolment page also says the college provides limited support for privately owned devices and is not responsible for their loss or damage.
Year 5 NAPLAN writing to return to paper
The national screen discussion also includes a change to assessment. Education ministers agreed that the Year 5 NAPLAN writing assessment will return to handwritten completion in 2028, subject to further advice from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority on feasibility, costs and workload.
Ministers also asked ACARA to provide advice on whether handwritten writing assessments should be extended to Years 7 and 9, and whether handwritten numeracy assessments should be considered for Years 3 and 5. Those additional changes have not been confirmed.
The assessment decision concerns how students complete a national test. It does not establish a change to the devices they may use for everyday classroom learning.
Read: The Lakes College Shines in Primary and Secondary NAPLAN Results
North Lakes State College’s published BYOD requirements remain the current reference for families checking the devices required at each year level. The national taskforce’s work may inform future decisions about classroom technology, but no change to the college’s policy has been announced.
Published 10-November-2026
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