Ontario will ban cellphones in elementary schools for the entire day, and during class time for middle and high school students, under new rules to st

Ontario reveals details of cellphone ban in schools. Here are the new rules for students

submited by

Style Pass

2024-04-28 22:00:03

Ontario will ban cellphones in elementary schools for the entire day, and during class time for middle and high school students, under new rules to start this September that are being touted as the toughest in Canada.

The changes announced Sunday, which include a crackdown on student vaping, will also force school boards to remove all access to social media websites from their networks, and report cards will be updated to include comments on students’ distraction levels.

Unless teachers want to use devices for learning, “when it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ “Education Minister Stephen Lecce said at a North York school Sunday.

The move, first reported by the Star, will mean kids up to Grade 6 have to put their cellphones away and on silent mode when at school. Those in Grades 7 to 12 will only have access between classes and at lunch.

Exceptions can be made with the “explicit” permission by an educator for learning purposes, as well as for students with particular medical or custody situations, Lecce said, adding parents can alert their schools to any such concerns.