Should phones be banned from schools?

Updated August 29, 2019 at 12:30 p.m.

“The 360” shows you diverse perspectives on the day’s top stories.

What’s happening:

A province-wide ban on cell phone use in classrooms will take effect in Ontario on Nov. 4.

“When in class, students should be focused on their studies, not their social media,” Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, said in a statement.

The government launched a consultation last year that found that 97 per cent of respondents, including parents, students and teachers, favoured tighter rules around cell phone use in classrooms.

Outside of Canada, legislators in California passed a law allowing the state’s school districts to implement their own phone prohibitions.

With 1,700 students, San Mateo High in San Francisco is reportedly the largest public school in America to go phone free.

Starting this year, students at the school will be part of a pilot program looking to find an answer to a question that has vexed educators for years: Does it make sense to ban cellphone use at school?

Why there’s debate:

Smartphones are considered by many educators to be a major impediment to learning and a scourge on the classroom environment. Many argue that they are constant distraction and a barrier to in-person communication, putting teachers in the position of having to interrupt instruction to get students back on task.

There is also some scientific research suggesting smartphones may fundamentally undermine a child's ability to learn or focus on one subject for an extended period of time.

Others say the bans are a mistake. Since phones are everywhere, goes the logic, schools would be better off teaching kids to utilize the technology as a learning tool. There is also evidence that bans are difficult if not impossible to enforce.

There are also safety concerns, like children not having access to phones during an emergency. Japan's education ministry said it is reconsidering its nationwide ban on phones in junior high and elementary schools in response to a strong earthquake that struck Osaka last year.

What’s next:

Smartphones are still a relatively new technology, so the pros and cons of having them in schools are still being evaluated. The broad bans taking place in France, Australia and other countries should provide more evidence of whether keeping phones out of schools is a good strategy.

Perspectives

Phones are a major impediment to learning.

“A cellphone ban during instructional time will decisively address one of the most stubborn issues confronting teachers in today’s classrooms. Dismissing it only serves to ignore the evidence-based research: that students’ fascination and, at times, their obsession with mobile devices is adversely affecting their performance, cognitive capacities, concentration and well-being.” — Paul W. Bennett, The Globe and Mail

Phones are too distracting to be allowed in schools.

“It doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that cell phones can be distracting, but if you want confirmation from a scientist, it’s not hard to find. Study after study shows that the powerful computers we keep in our pockets can be distracting for even the most disciplined of adults — not to mention students.” — Abigail Hess, CNBC

Schools should teach children to use their phones responsibly.

“The reality is that in university, and more importantly, the workplace, your professors and bosses don’t tell you to put your phone away. They just expect you to meet your deadlines — and if you’re distracted by dog videos on your phone, that’s your problem.” — Sherina Harris, Vice

There’s no way to effectively enforce phone bans.

“What is there to enforce? Is the government saying that a student can’t have a cellphone in their pocket? How would a classroom professional know?.” — Leslie Wolfe, head of the Toronto local of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, to the Toronto Star

Kids need to learn how to get things done without easy access to technology.

“Learning to get along without digital media, to depend directly on themselves and each other without electronic distraction several uninterrupted hours a day, could be the most important training we can give our young people before sending them into an uncharted and potentially uncontrollable technological future.” — Steve Koppman, Mercury News

Phone bans discriminate against kids with nontraditional learning styles.

“What I’m particularly opposed to are blanket device bans that fail to recognize that different humans learn in different ways at different times.” — Education and technology expert Jesse Stommel

The bans represent a failure by schools to adapt to modern student needs.

“Schools that take the draconian decision to ban mobile phones are really admitting failure. A failure of management, a failure of understanding contemporary communication and a failure to recognise the significant benefits of mobile phones in class.” — Christopher Bantick, Sydney Morning Herald

A student argues in favour of teaching teenagers to properly manage their screen time.

"Banning technology from students will also seriously limit our ability to learn digital self-control. Every minute of our school day is already dictated to us by adults, making time management a difficult skill to learn. If phones are not only banned in class but also in our recess and lunch times, we are not learning how to use our phones in moderation, and will find it even harder to learn to do so once we graduate and are given free rein." — Hannah Bachelard, The Age

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