Province bans cellphones in classrooms

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This article was published 16/08/2024 (415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government announced Thursday a provincewide ban on cellphone use in classrooms for kindergarten to Grade 12 students will start in September.

Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare said cellphone use is banned during school hours for students in kindergarten through Grade 8, while students in Grades 9-12 will be allowed to use cellphones only during lunch and recess.

Exceptions will be made to students with medical and diverse learning needs, and for educational purposes in Grades 9-12 when directed by classroom teachers, he said.

“We want young people to be able to focus in class so they can learn more and feel confident,” Altomare said in a press release.

“We know cellphones can be a real distraction for students — studies show it can take up to 20 minutes for a child to refocus on what they were learning once distracted,” he said.

“These provincial guidelines will give teachers the tools they need to keep students focused and ensure class time is spent on learning. Plus, we will take safety and medical concerns into account, so all risks are minimized.”

Altomare explained that under the Public Schools Act, school divisions are required to establish technology policies that meet local needs, adding the framework ensures consistency across the province while allowing for flexibility in addressing specific community requirements.

Brandon School Division trustee Calistus Ekenna (Ward 1) acknowledged the potential benefits of the ban.

“I think this is a good move, and I’ll be discussing with my colleagues how we can further align this with our standards here in Brandon,” he told the Sun on Thursday. “We’re not just going to look at it from K to 8; we’ll also consider it holistically, from K to 12, to see what we can do differently and ensure that they are safe while using smartphones.”

While minimizing distractions is important, Ekenna said, being mindful of the benefits that come with responsible cellphone use is key.

Trustee Kirk Carr (Ward 1) agreed the policy could potentially improve classroom focus by reducing distractions.

“I think it’s going to improve the classroom because they’re going to be paying more attention to the teacher, and not on their phones,” he said.

While the ban might help manage social media distractions, he added, it does not address all aspects of cellphone use.

“Phones can serve as a calculator or a replacement for other devices,” Carr said. “We need to strike a balance between limiting distractions and allowing students to use technology for educational purposes.”

Reflecting on his high school days in the Brandon School Division over a decade ago, trustee Duncan Ross (Ward 1) recalled that even then, when smartphones were just emerging, they were already causing distractions in class.

“I can only imagine how much more of a disruption it is now,” he told the Sun. “If the minister has determined that it’s a problem, and it is a provincewide policy, I’m fine with it.”

He anticipates some potential challenges, including parents needing to contact their children during the school day on pickup plans or dinner arrangements.

“That’s going to be the big thing to iron out because such communication might need to be managed during recess or breaks between classes,” he said. “There’s still two weeks until school starts, and we’ll see how many of those things get sorted out.”

Barbara Brown, an academic co-ordinator at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, said while the argument for banning cellphones is based on keeping children safe and less distracted, it does not necessarily mean students will automatically become more engaged in school and academically successful.

“Cellphones are powerful technological devices that have more than ‘phone’ functionality, and by focusing only on the harms associated with cellphones, we neglect to focus on the positive associations of using technologies in guided and meaningful ways for learning in school,” she told the Sun in an email.

Regarding the balance between minimizing distractions and embracing digital learning tools, Brown said restrictive policies could hinder the integration of technology in education.

She added funding is a significant barrier, limiting access to technologies in schools.

“Many schools have allowed students to use personally owned devices, including cellphones, for a range of learning activities in the classroom to make up for the lack of access to technologies in schools.”

“I’m hopeful that schools will continue to embrace digital learning tools and that funding will be provided to properly resource classrooms where personally owned devices are banned,” she said.

Progressive Conservative education critic Grant Jackson said the ban aligned with the opposition’s earlier calls for action.

“This is the right step to take,” Jackson told the Sun. “This will refocus students off their screens and onto their studies and improve educational outcomes in our province.”

The Spruce Woods MLA said there is a need for additional policies to further support Manitoba’s education system, adding the previous government’s plans to build new schools in Brandon are yet to see progress under the current administration.

“We urge the NDP government to start building new schools in Winnipeg, Brandon, Neepawa, Ste. Anne and West St. Paul to meet the needs of our growing student population,” he said. “It needs to implement $10 daycare on non-instructional school days starting in September and restore the $4 million of funding cuts to summer Green Teams to extend youth employment through the fall and winter.”

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