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Maybe we’re fighting the wrong battle. It’s not about phones. It’s about break time.
Recently, my company banned mobile phone and smartwatch usage for all teachers in our centres.
At first, the discussion online seemed to be about whether teachers should be allowed to use their phones during break time. Many parents commented that teachers should not be on their phones at work, and honestly, I can understand why that sounds reasonable at first glance.
But the more I think about it, the more I feel that we’re arguing about the wrong thing.
The reality is that most preschool teachers do not use their phones when children are awake. What people may not realise is that our “break time” often happens during children’s nap time.
And even then, many of us are not truly on break.
We’re still in the classroom. We’re still supervising sleeping children. We’re still expected to respond if a child wakes up crying, has a nightmare, vomits, wets themselves, needs the toilet, or has any other issue. In many centres, teachers also spend this time washing bottles, preparing materials, handling administrative work, or covering other duties.
So when people say, “Teachers shouldn’t be using their phones during break time,” I find myself wondering:
Why are we even calling it a break in the first place?
If an employee is still responsible for children, still expected to respond immediately, and still unable to leave or fully disengage from work, is that really a break?
What surprises me is that many teachers, myself included, have become so used to sacrificing our own time that we don’t even question it anymore. We’ve accepted eating quickly in dark classrooms. We’ve accepted remaining alert during our “break.” We’ve accepted being responsible for children throughout the day.
Now the conversation has become whether we should be allowed to check our phones.
Maybe the bigger question is whether we are actually receiving the break we’re supposedly entitled to.
One more thing I’d like to add to fellow preschool teachers who are not affected by this policy:
Please do not assume this issue has nothing to do with you simply because your centre has not implemented it.
Large operators often set trends within the industry. Practices that begin in one organisation can gradually spread and become accepted as the new normal elsewhere.
In fact, I would argue that this has already happened with break time. Many preschool teachers today accept supervising sleeping children during their “break” as normal, even though if we’re still responsible for children, it is difficult to call it a genuine break in the first place.
What concerns me is not just one company’s phone policy. What concerns me is the possibility that the industry continues moving the goalposts, asking teachers to give up a little more each time until eventually everyone accepts it as standard practice.
Whether you agree or disagree with phone usage is up to you. But I hope all teachers pay attention to the bigger issue: our working conditions should not slowly deteriorate simply because we have become accustomed to making sacrifices.
I’m curious to hear from others, especially preschool teachers, childcare staff, HR professionals, and parents.
If an employee is not paid during their break, but is still required to supervise children and remain responsible for them, would you consider that a genuine break?
Would love to hear different perspectives.
Update from MOM:
MOM informed me that under the Employment Act, working hours exclude periods meant for rest, meals, and breaks. Employees should not be required to work more than 6 consecutive hours without a break, and if work is carried out continuously for 8 hours, employees must receive at least 45 minutes of break time. MOM also stated that meal breaks are not part of working hours and are generally unpaid.
This has made me question whether a period where teachers remain in the classroom, supervise sleeping children, respond when children wake up, and carry out work-related tasks can truly be considered a break.
For me, this reinforces that the conversation should not just be about phone usage. It should be about whether preschool teachers are receiving a genuine break at all.
