Labour will back more sport and play, set clearer rules on screen use in schools, and support parents to keep kids safe online.
- Three ways to keep kids off screens for longer: more sport and play, the right screen at the right time, and support for parents
- Active Me - Kia Tū kept going. $3 million a year for another four years, with grants of up to $300 a year for two years towards registration, uniforms and equipment
- An extra $4 million a year through Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, ring-fenced for community groups running after-school sport and activities
- Clearer national advice on screen use for early childhood education and schools, with guidance for different ages
- Schools and kura must have clear screen-use policies, plus clearer expectations for safe settings and appropriate content on school devices
- The existing ban on mobile phones in schools stays
- Online-safety tools made easier to find and use, including the free Switch on Safety filter and the Digital Guardian Guide
Three ways we'll keep kids off screens for longer:
- More sport. More play. More fun. Help cover sport costs with grants of up to $300 a year for two years, and invest $4 million more each year in after-school activities.
- The right screen at the right time. Set clearer national expectations and require schools to have sensible policies on screen use.
- Support for parents. Make online-safety tools easier to find and use, and help schools use new technology safely.
We cannot expect parents to solve this on their own. Clearer rules must go hand in hand with better alternatives for children.
Screens are taking up more of childhood
Smart devices can have real benefits. But social media companies are reaching children younger and younger and taking up a significant part of their day. Parents need support, and kids need time away from a screen.
Source: Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa.
1. More sport. More play. More fun.
If we want children to spend less time on screens, we have to give them the chance to do something else. And those opportunities need to be affordable.
Sport, play and recreation help kids make friends, discover new interests and build confidence. But costs add up. Registration fees. Uniforms. Boots. Equipment. When household budgets are stretched, sport and after-school activities can be the things families have to cut back on.
| Programme | What Labour will do | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Active Me - Kia Tū | Keep the programme going, with grants of up to $300 a year for two years towards registration, uniforms and equipment | $3 million a year, for another four years |
| Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa | Ring-fenced funding for community groups running after-school sport and activities for kids | An additional $4 million a year |
Help with fees, uniforms and equipment
Labour will provide $3 million a year to keep Active Me - Kia Tū going. It offers grants of up to $300 a year for two years to help children take part in sport and recreation, covering costs such as registration, uniforms and equipment.
More than 10,000 children have benefited since 2021. With existing funding due to expire in 2026, Labour will give the programme certainty for another four years.
More opportunities after school
Labour will invest an additional $4 million a year through Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, which will be ring-fenced specifically for community groups running after-school sport and activities for kids.
Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa helps local clubs and organisations deliver play, recreation and sport for five to 18-year-olds. From 2020 to 2024, it supported 5,281 projects and nearly two million opportunities for young people to take part.
This isn't just about less screen time. These are practical ways to make sure there are more chances to join in, have fun and be a kid.
2. The right screen at the right time
Technology has a place in education. Used well, it can support learning and give teachers useful tools. But not every lesson needs a device.
Children also need to read, write, chat, move around, solve problems and learn alongside each other. Parents should know screens are used at school because they help children learn, not simply because they are there.
Clear national advice
Labour will work with educators, health experts and young people to update Ministry of Education recommendations for screen use in early childhood education and schools, with clearer guidance for different ages.
Policies schools must have
We will change education regulations so school and kura boards are required to put clear screen-use policies in place, including when and how devices are used in the classroom.
We will also set clearer expectations for safe settings and appropriate content on school devices.
Keep phones out of the school day
We will retain the existing ban on mobile phones in schools, so children can concentrate on their learning, friendships and the school day.
3. Back parents to keep kids safe
Parents know their children best. But apps and online risks change quickly, and even parents who set clear boundaries can struggle to keep up. They need practical help, not another lecture.
Help parents make informed choices
Labour will make existing online-safety tools easier to find and use. That includes the free Switch on Safety filter and the Digital Guardian Guide, which help families make decisions about devices, online content and safer use at home.
Help schools use technology safely
We have already announced an AI in Education team to support schools, teachers and students (see Labour's AI Action Plan). We will also work with experts and young people on an education AI app designed to support learning in a safer environment.
Together with clearer expectations for school devices, these steps will help children benefit from new technology without being left to navigate the risks on their own.
What is Labour's Keeping Kids off Screens policy?
Keeping Kids off Screens is Labour's plan to help kids be kids for longer, in three ways:
- More sport, play and after-school activities, with help towards the costs
- Clearer national expectations and sensible screen-use policies in schools
- Practical support for parents, including online-safety tools that are easier to find and use.
Why is Labour doing this?
Smart devices can have real benefits, but social media companies are reaching children younger and younger and taking up a significant part of their day. Parents need support, and kids need time away from a screen.
How much time do teenagers spend on social media?
Figures from the Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa show that 90% of teenagers reported using social media, 62% started using social media aged 10 to 13, average use is 2.5 hours a day, and 32% of teenagers spend at least five hours a day on social media.
What is Active Me - Kia Tū and what will Labour do?
Active Me - Kia Tū offers grants of up to $300 a year for two years to help children take part in sport and recreation, covering costs such as registration, uniforms and equipment. More than 10,000 children have benefited since 2021. With existing funding due to expire in 2026, Labour will provide $3 million a year to keep the programme going, giving it certainty for another four years.
What is Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa and what is the extra $4 million for?
Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa helps local clubs and organisations deliver play, recreation and sport for five to 18-year-olds. From 2020 to 2024 it supported 5,281 projects and nearly two million opportunities for young people to take part. Labour will invest an additional $4 million a year through the programme, ring-fenced specifically for community groups running after-school sport and activities for kids.
What will change in schools?
- Labour will work with educators, health experts and young people to update Ministry of Education recommendations for screen use in early childhood education and schools, with clearer guidance for different ages
- Education regulations will change so school and kura boards are required to put clear screen-use policies in place, including when and how devices are used in the classroom
- Labour will set clearer expectations for safe settings and appropriate content on school devices
Will the ban on mobile phones in schools stay?
Yes. Labour will retain the existing ban on mobile phones in schools, so children can concentrate on their learning, friendships and the school day.
How will Labour support parents?
Labour will make existing online-safety tools easier to find and use, including the free Switch on Safety filter and the Digital Guardian Guide, which help families make decisions about devices, online content and safer use at home.
Labour has also announced an AI in Education team to support schools, teachers and students, and will work with experts and young people on an education AI app designed to support learning in a safer environment.
Is Labour telling parents how to manage screen time?
No. Government should not be making decisions about a child's screen time, but it can back parents, set sensible rules and give kids better things to do beyond a screen.
How much will this cost?
Labour will provide $3 million a year to keep Active Me - Kia Tū going for another four years, and invest an additional $4 million a year through Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa for after-school sport and activities.
This is how we help kids be kids for longer.
Better starts now.
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