The Perth girls' school Penrhos College has banned students from using mobile phones during lunch and recess breaks in an effort to encourage conversation.

Principal Meg Melville told the West Australian newspaper that the ban was implemented after teachers at the school noticed that students were texting instead of talking to each other.

"We decided we wanted to really encourage them during their break times at school to have conversations with one another, face-to-face," she said.

The paper reported other schools such as Santa Maria College  discouraged mobile phone use during breaks.

"These devices are part of what they have grown up with," said Santa Maria College principal Ian Elder. "It's a whole of society thing, this fascination with texting everyone and having immediate feedback."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/19570730/school-bans-phones-at-breaks/