Screen Time Slashed For These NJ Students Under New Policy

As a broader effort to limit phones and screens in New Jersey classrooms takes shape, it seems preschoolers are not above the new practices.

New Jersey school officials recently amended their preschool policies regarding screen time for young students.

Specifically, the New Jersey Department of Education and the Division of Early Childhood Services updated the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards (NJPTLS) to limit screen time allowances.

The updated NJPTLS was unanimously approved by the New Jersey Board of Education on Oct. 7.

Preschoolers across the Garden State are now allowed only up to 15 minutes of screen time per school day. This includes the use of smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions, with the 15 minutes expected to be broken up into "short, intentional periods."

The state's initial proposal of the updated NJPTLS allowed full-day preschoolers up to an hour of screen time per day, with half-day preschoolers getting up to 30 minutes. The new 15-minute policy applies to all preschoolers, whether they are full-day or half-day students.

Early discussions of absolutely no screen time were held by the NJ BOE earlier this year, but the ideas were ultimately scrapped. School officials said introducing the technology to the three- and four-year-olds is essential for their success in later grades.

According to the freshly approved policy, the technology should be "integrated into learning experiences and not used continuously or as a substitute for active, hands-on, social, and play-based learning opportunities."

Screen time is also not to be used as a reward for students who met curricular goals, according to the new policy.

"Educators must carefully select technology to maintain these limits while promoting meaningful learning experiences," it reads.

While the policies will not be mandated until 2028, school districts can begin the 15-minute limit now.

The move comes as several New Jersey parents call on state officials to "establish clear, developmentally appropriate limits and guidelines for classroom screen use."

Screens With Purpose is a New Jersey advocacy group that is asking Mikie Sherrill, the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Legislature to create stricter and more clearly outlined screen time policies for all students, not just preschoolers.

"Technology can support learning when it is used intentionally, in limited ways, and for clear educational purposes," a Screens With Purpose petition reads. "But many parents and educators are concerned that screens have become too common in everyday classroom instruction, especially for younger students."

New Jersey has already begun the shift to limit screens in the classroom, passing a cell phone ban in all public schools that began this school year. Read More — NJ Approves School Cell Phone Ban: What To Know