As part of other 2027 reforms, primary school students in Years 3-6 will also have their screen time limited to 90 minutes a day, to curtail the amount of time they spend on laptops, which the Government said had accelerated since the pandemic.

Teachers will also be encouraged to provide minimal device time for those in Prep to Year 2.

The Australian Education Union’s Victorian Branch says expecting the lowest funded public schools in the country to provide students with laptops and tablet devices is “laughable”.

Parents won’t be required to stump up for the digital devices, with schools responsible for ensuring every student has access to one for the duration required by the curriculum.

“Not requiring parents to pay for tablets or laptops is a good thing, they should never have had to in the first place, but the Allan Government is living in a dreamland if they think public schools have the budgets available to provide devices to all students when Victorian public schools are the lowest funded in the nation,” AEU Victoria branch president Justin Mullaly said.

“Instead of delivering the funding, Premier (Jacinta) Allan has cut $2.4 billion from public schools through to 2031.”

The specific method of provision, such as shared classroom sets or individual loans, will be determined by each school to meet the curriculum’s needs and is not on a one-to-one basis for ownership.

“This is a disgrace and makes the claim that Victoria is the education state a meaningless nonsense,” Mullaly said.

“There is no way that Victoria’s public primary schools will be able to ensure students have access to up-to-date technology and secure devices unless the Premier stops the con-job and fixes her public school funding mess.”

Parents will save up to $500 by no longer needing to buy a device for their children, however the AEU says the Allan Government is "living in a dreamland" if it thinks public schools have the budgets available to provide devices to all students.

Carroll said the reforms present a major change to the way schools use screens in the classroom.

“Digital skills are essential for kids growing up in the 2020s, but we know that these devices can also be distracting,” he said in a statement.

“It makes sense to minimise the time that primary school students spend on devices when they are at school.”

New guidance and support materials will be distributed to schools in Term 1 next year to help schools plan lessons using digital devices.

The Government said it is aiming to ensure that students learn essential digital literacy skills, while reducing distractions in the classroom.

“This is a massive shake-up for the education system in Victoria. This will save parents money and it will also improve outcomes for kids,” Carroll said.

“We want an education system that fosters critical thinking, creativity and collaboration.”

The minister said the reforms align perfectly with the upcoming social media ban for under 16s and Victoria’s ban on mobile phones at schools.

“A reliance on screens is having a big impact on behavioural issues, having a big impact on our students’ concentration in the classroom,” he said.

“These are really important reforms in the digital age. We know children born today are digital natives, but we want them to have a childhood as well, be out in the playground, be fostering those social relationships.”

Monash University’s Professor Mike Phillips told The Age newspaper that for younger students, a reduction in screen time would not equate to weaker digital skills.

“What matters is that students still have regular, meaningful opportunities to learn how to use technology critically and creatively, not just for entertainment or rote tasks,” the professor of digital transformation said.

Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Andrew Dalgleish, president of the Victorian Principals Association, said he’s expecting a mixed response from schools to the reforms.

He said it was important that schools had certainty over access to proper equipment for online learning.

“We certainly found during the pandemic when we pivoted to online learning that there were supports that were needed from the department in some cases, and they stepped up to that.”