New Brunswick has become the latest province to implement a full-on ban or strict restrictions around cell phone use in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. A new section pertaining to cellphone use has been added to New Brunswick’s Department of Education tech policy effective September 2024. New Brunswick joins Ontario, Quebec, and BC in imposing cellphone bans in schools. Students will be required to turn their phones on silent mode and stash them in a “designated area of the classroom,” the policy states. Exceptions include students who use their phone to monitor health conditions, and in the instance the teacher deems it acceptable for educational purposes. Those who do not comply could face disciplinary action, states the policy. . Prior to the province-wide policy, schools had the choice to make their own rules regarding cellphones in class. “The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has been working on updates to Policy 311 to address cellphone use in a more stringent way,” department spokesperson Judy Désalliers told Brunswick News. Policy 311 “defines the minimum standards for appropriate use of information and communication technologies in the public school system” and applies “to students or school personnel or any invited organization member or volunteer with electronic access to the school network.”New Brunswick Teachers’ Association president Peter Lagacy said “there’s obviously concerns we’ve heard from teachers” about the negative impacts of students using phones in class. “They can be a great learning tool when used appropriately, but there are also concerns about privacy and distraction, and certainly concerns about mental health as well,” he said per the Telegraph-Journal. .Ontario in April announced it would implement a ban on cellphones in school in efforts to minimize classroom distractions as of September. The province has had a policy limiting cellphone use since 2019, but it is more relaxed and reportedly has been minimally enforced, if at all. Elementary students up to sixth grade will no longer be able to have cell phones out during the school day. Those that bring them to school must keep them “out of sight” and on silent mode. Older students are banned from having cellphones in the classroom unless they receive special permission from their teacher. Further, the province will block all social media platforms from all school networks and devices — notably, many high school students still use a government-issued laptop they received during the pandemic so these things can be controlled. “We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cellphones in classrooms are distracting kids from learning,” wrote Minister of Education Stephen Lecce in a statement. “Our government is introducing the toughest policy in Canada to tackle this issue by cracking down on cellphone usage during class time.”“When it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight and out of mind,’ as we get students back to the basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense back in Ontario schools.”Quebec banned cell phones in classrooms as of last December 31, with the exception of teachers giving permission in specific circumstances for educational purposes. BC Premier David Eby in January slammed social media companies for delivering addictive content to children, and announced a cellphone in class ban effective this September. “While cellphones, the internet and social media help us connect with each other, they also present risks that can harm kids,” said Eby per the Vancouver Sun. Some francophone schools in Manitoba are implementing a ban, but there is not a blanket ban expected in the province, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are leaving the decision up to teachers, and PEI and Newfoundland do not plan on imposing a ban. The matter is up for discussion in Alberta.
New Brunswick has become the latest province to implement a full-on ban or strict restrictions around cell phone use in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. A new section pertaining to cellphone use has been added to New Brunswick’s Department of Education tech policy effective September 2024. New Brunswick joins Ontario, Quebec, and BC in imposing cellphone bans in schools. Students will be required to turn their phones on silent mode and stash them in a “designated area of the classroom,” the policy states. Exceptions include students who use their phone to monitor health conditions, and in the instance the teacher deems it acceptable for educational purposes. Those who do not comply could face disciplinary action, states the policy. . Prior to the province-wide policy, schools had the choice to make their own rules regarding cellphones in class. “The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has been working on updates to Policy 311 to address cellphone use in a more stringent way,” department spokesperson Judy Désalliers told Brunswick News. Policy 311 “defines the minimum standards for appropriate use of information and communication technologies in the public school system” and applies “to students or school personnel or any invited organization member or volunteer with electronic access to the school network.”New Brunswick Teachers’ Association president Peter Lagacy said “there’s obviously concerns we’ve heard from teachers” about the negative impacts of students using phones in class. “They can be a great learning tool when used appropriately, but there are also concerns about privacy and distraction, and certainly concerns about mental health as well,” he said per the Telegraph-Journal. .Ontario in April announced it would implement a ban on cellphones in school in efforts to minimize classroom distractions as of September. The province has had a policy limiting cellphone use since 2019, but it is more relaxed and reportedly has been minimally enforced, if at all. Elementary students up to sixth grade will no longer be able to have cell phones out during the school day. Those that bring them to school must keep them “out of sight” and on silent mode. Older students are banned from having cellphones in the classroom unless they receive special permission from their teacher. Further, the province will block all social media platforms from all school networks and devices — notably, many high school students still use a government-issued laptop they received during the pandemic so these things can be controlled. “We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cellphones in classrooms are distracting kids from learning,” wrote Minister of Education Stephen Lecce in a statement. “Our government is introducing the toughest policy in Canada to tackle this issue by cracking down on cellphone usage during class time.”“When it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight and out of mind,’ as we get students back to the basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense back in Ontario schools.”Quebec banned cell phones in classrooms as of last December 31, with the exception of teachers giving permission in specific circumstances for educational purposes. BC Premier David Eby in January slammed social media companies for delivering addictive content to children, and announced a cellphone in class ban effective this September. “While cellphones, the internet and social media help us connect with each other, they also present risks that can harm kids,” said Eby per the Vancouver Sun. Some francophone schools in Manitoba are implementing a ban, but there is not a blanket ban expected in the province, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are leaving the decision up to teachers, and PEI and Newfoundland do not plan on imposing a ban. The matter is up for discussion in Alberta.
