Locals welcome provincial limits on school cellphone use

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Ontario has unveiled a plan to reduce cellphone use in classrooms across the province.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the goal is to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve the health of children.

Students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day unless explicitly permitted by an educator. For students in Grades 7 to 12, cellphones will not be permitted during class time unless explicitly directed by the educator. Social-media websites will also be removed from school networks and devices, and report cards will include comments on students’ distraction levels in class.

The Gazette had conversations with a parent and student and the feedback from both has been nothing but positive. Hickson-area resident Jody Vos has three children including a son in Grade 8.

“None of my children have cellphones and I have never been in favour of letting them have one. I've been thinking about allowing my son who is going off to high school in September to have one just in case of emergency. He has autism and it worries me about how high school will pan out for him, if you know what I mean. High school isn't what it used to be when we were in school.”

Vos added there is no doubt in her mind children are being heavily distracted by the use of electronic devices while at school.

“I honestly think teachers will be in favour. My son goes to Hickson Grade 8 and, on the last field trip, I heard a number of times, ‘Put your phone away or it will become mine.’ My son is going to Camp Celtic in June and they have a no-electronics rule, which I think is great. Kids need to learn to live without those things.”

Vos added society has become hooked on electronic devices and said phones should never have been allowed in the classroom.

“In my opinion, it's such a distraction. They are there to learn.”

The Gazette reached out to the Thames Valley District School Board for comment and Director of Education Mark Fisher provided the following written statement.

“As a board, we are in support of measures taken by the government that prioritize the safety and wellbeing of students, and support improved student achievement and engagement in the classroom. We look forward to learning more as details become available by the ministry.”

The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) also provided the Gazette with a statement, saying they are committed to providing a supportive and enriching learning environment for all students.

“The collaborative and ongoing efforts in many WRDSB schools to implement shifts in cellphone use demonstrate our commitment to supporting student achievement and wellbeing.”

It went on to say, in partnership with students, staff and families, a number of WRDSB secondary schools have changed their guidelines regarding cellphone use.

“This effort supports our commitment to centering student voices as outlined in the WRDSB Strategic Plan. WRDSB staff have begun working through the new cellphone expectations from the Ministry of Education and will be ready to put it in place for September 2024. We know that students, families and staff may share differing views on this direction and we look forward to working in partnership with our stakeholders to continue creating learning environments where all students are able to achieve their full potential.”

Tavistock resident Connor Murray is a Grade 10 student at Waterloo Oxford and welcomes the new regulations.

“I think some regulation is needed. I find a lot of teenagers and high school kids aren’t capable of regulating themselves with the cellphones. Something needs to be done. A lot of people aren’t going to be happy because they like to be on their phones a lot.”

Murray is hopeful the new rules will have a positive outcome on the mental health of his fellow students.

“I think in class it will be better. I hope kids start socializing more. That’s part of the issue with phones. I feel like it (has) caused a whole anxiety epidemic.”

He added the pandemic was another cause of not only more teenagers getting cellphones but also spending more time on them.

“Some teachers may not change what they’ve done. I know my civics teacher was saying he’s not going to do anything different in the way he enforces phones. It may force some teachers to enforce it more. A lot of the tech and substitute teachers enforce it now, I find,” he added.

Murray’s main concern when his Grade 11 year begins is teachers enforcing the rules equally.

“I would like to see every teacher following the same rules and every student following the same rules. Teachers and students alike shouldn’t be on their phones in class.”

Murray admitted his phone is a distraction and added he can be his own worst enemy.

“I am not very good at regulating myself. Sometimes I go on my phone if I am tired and don’t feel like doing work even though I have a lot of work to do.”

Despite the negative aspects of cellphone use in the classroom, he said sometimes a cellphone can play a role in learning.

“With guitar, I actually use it as a tool for tuning the instrument and, in other cases, phones can do good things. I just find that most of the time people are playing games or going on social media.”

The government is also strengthening the rules around students caught using or carrying vapes or cigarettes. Students will be required to surrender these products and parents will be notified immediately of the situation. The government also officially announced $30 million in the 2024 budget to install vape detectors and other security upgrades in schools.

With files from Cadence Mailloux

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette