The Alberta government will be prohibiting students from using cellphones during class time and banning access to social media sites in schools effective the 2024/2025 school year. Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said he is “confident that these restrictions will reduce distractions, maximize learning time, support student mental health, and reduce opportunities for cyberbullying.” “The new rules will be in place as I mentioned for the 24/25 school year at the beginning of the next school year, which occurs in late August, early September,” said Nicolaides at a Monday press conference. “Students again will no longer be able to use personal mobile devices during class time or to access social media sites.” Nicolaides said personal mobile devices include cellphones, smartphones, smartwatches, headphones, and other personal electronic devices. However, he said there will be a few situations when students can use them. These situations are if needed for medical or health reasons, special learning needs, or direction from a teacher or principal. The rules will apply to all public, Catholic, francophone, charter, and independent schools. He said these rules “present minimum standards, and a board has the autonomy and flexibility to implement additional restrictions if they so choose.” During class time, he said all personal mobile devices have to be turned off and out of sight. Out of sight means in backpacks, lockers, or other areas as determined by school boards. School boards can decide what enforcement looks like and what the consequences for non-compliance will be. They will be required to notify parents if their children violate the rules. Additionally, they will be able to determine exceptions. As the current school year draws to a close, Nicolaides said he knows many parents will have questions about what the restrictions will look like. He encouraged them to pay attention to their school authorities in the upcoming months about the rules. University of Calgary developmental psychologist Dr. Michael Boyes said he remembers when teachers would help their students multitask. “Now that’s not a good idea,” said Boyes. “We’re still working on figuring out the full impacts of social media use on our students, but the research is very clear that smartphones in the classroom negatively impact students’ abilities to focus and sustain their attention on their learning but also on important developmental things like critical thinking, problem solving, planning skills, and on the building of the kinds of self-efficacy that they need to manage their engagement not just with social media but also their engagement with their lives as they move out of our school systems.” Boyes acknowledged the distractions that are built into smartphones when available in education settings are widening the gap between low- and high-functioning students. Because of all this, he said he thinks limiting cellphones in schools “is an important step in helping our students focus their attention on the learning and the development they need to do in order to flourish in the world they are going to move into when they move out of school.” Aurora Academic Charter Secondary School (AACSS) teacher Vicki Leong applauded the Alberta government for limiting personal mobile devices and social media in schools. “At both our primary and secondary Aurora campuses, which range in grades from kindergarten to Grade 11 and with the addition of Grade 12 in the fall, we have policies in place that restrict the use of cellphones and personal devices during class time,” said Leong. “I know firsthand that this announcement today will benefit students across the province.” With this announcement, Leong said it validates what AACSS has been doing and ensures teachers can deliver the curriculum without having to compete against cellphones. She added pings and vibrations from cellphones can disrupt the flow of a lesson or the focus of learning in a classroom. Nicolaides followed up by saying the ban relates to class time. “So during breaks, students will have the ability to use their devices, recognizing as you mentioned I think a lot of those pieces,” he said. “That’s how the world operates today, so we need to set them up for success.” At the moment, he said cellphones are mainstay and here to stay. He predicted students will continue to use calendar and email apps like they would in post-secondary institutions and at jobs. Nicolaides said in January cellphone usage in schools was “a helpful instructional tool, but I also understand there are significant risks and concerns with inappropriate cellphone usage.”READ MORE: Nicolaides looking into cellphone ban in Alberta schools“I plan to talk more with teachers, parents, students and staff about cellphone usage in our schools and use their advice to help inform any potential next steps,” he said. He did not elaborate on if or when Albertans could expect a ban to come into place.
The Alberta government will be prohibiting students from using cellphones during class time and banning access to social media sites in schools effective the 2024/2025 school year. Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said he is “confident that these restrictions will reduce distractions, maximize learning time, support student mental health, and reduce opportunities for cyberbullying.” “The new rules will be in place as I mentioned for the 24/25 school year at the beginning of the next school year, which occurs in late August, early September,” said Nicolaides at a Monday press conference. “Students again will no longer be able to use personal mobile devices during class time or to access social media sites.” Nicolaides said personal mobile devices include cellphones, smartphones, smartwatches, headphones, and other personal electronic devices. However, he said there will be a few situations when students can use them. These situations are if needed for medical or health reasons, special learning needs, or direction from a teacher or principal. The rules will apply to all public, Catholic, francophone, charter, and independent schools. He said these rules “present minimum standards, and a board has the autonomy and flexibility to implement additional restrictions if they so choose.” During class time, he said all personal mobile devices have to be turned off and out of sight. Out of sight means in backpacks, lockers, or other areas as determined by school boards. School boards can decide what enforcement looks like and what the consequences for non-compliance will be. They will be required to notify parents if their children violate the rules. Additionally, they will be able to determine exceptions. As the current school year draws to a close, Nicolaides said he knows many parents will have questions about what the restrictions will look like. He encouraged them to pay attention to their school authorities in the upcoming months about the rules. University of Calgary developmental psychologist Dr. Michael Boyes said he remembers when teachers would help their students multitask. “Now that’s not a good idea,” said Boyes. “We’re still working on figuring out the full impacts of social media use on our students, but the research is very clear that smartphones in the classroom negatively impact students’ abilities to focus and sustain their attention on their learning but also on important developmental things like critical thinking, problem solving, planning skills, and on the building of the kinds of self-efficacy that they need to manage their engagement not just with social media but also their engagement with their lives as they move out of our school systems.” Boyes acknowledged the distractions that are built into smartphones when available in education settings are widening the gap between low- and high-functioning students. Because of all this, he said he thinks limiting cellphones in schools “is an important step in helping our students focus their attention on the learning and the development they need to do in order to flourish in the world they are going to move into when they move out of school.” Aurora Academic Charter Secondary School (AACSS) teacher Vicki Leong applauded the Alberta government for limiting personal mobile devices and social media in schools. “At both our primary and secondary Aurora campuses, which range in grades from kindergarten to Grade 11 and with the addition of Grade 12 in the fall, we have policies in place that restrict the use of cellphones and personal devices during class time,” said Leong. “I know firsthand that this announcement today will benefit students across the province.” With this announcement, Leong said it validates what AACSS has been doing and ensures teachers can deliver the curriculum without having to compete against cellphones. She added pings and vibrations from cellphones can disrupt the flow of a lesson or the focus of learning in a classroom. Nicolaides followed up by saying the ban relates to class time. “So during breaks, students will have the ability to use their devices, recognizing as you mentioned I think a lot of those pieces,” he said. “That’s how the world operates today, so we need to set them up for success.” At the moment, he said cellphones are mainstay and here to stay. He predicted students will continue to use calendar and email apps like they would in post-secondary institutions and at jobs. Nicolaides said in January cellphone usage in schools was “a helpful instructional tool, but I also understand there are significant risks and concerns with inappropriate cellphone usage.”READ MORE: Nicolaides looking into cellphone ban in Alberta schools“I plan to talk more with teachers, parents, students and staff about cellphone usage in our schools and use their advice to help inform any potential next steps,” he said. He did not elaborate on if or when Albertans could expect a ban to come into place.
