Ontario’s new education minister says that the government has begun an advertising blitz to make students and parents aware of a new cellphone ban that will be in effect when classes resume next week.
For the coming school year, students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be asked to keep their phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day, unless permitted by an educator.
Students in Grades 7 and 12 will be permitted to use cellphones on school property but only outside of class time.
“This is a new initiative and it is a culture change that’s happening in our classrooms. I want teachers and principals to know that we have your backs,” Education Minister Jill Dunlop said during a press conference on Thursday morning, where she discussed many of the changes coming to Ontario’s public schools this fall. “If the teacher is asking cell phones to be put away or turned off and if students do not abide by those rules, they’ll be asked to put the cell phone in a safe space in the classroom. If students do not follow that, they’ll be asked to go to the principal’s office.”
The Ford government announced the cellphone ban back in April but the news rules only take effect with the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
As part of the new policy, social media sites will also be blocked on all school networks and devices.
“I was an educator as well, that’s in the college area, but I saw firsthand the distraction that cell phones can cause in the classroom,” Dunlop said. “It is a distraction not just amongst the students themselves with their phones but amongst their peers and also the teachers who are there to teach. So we are removing distractions to ensure students success and ensure students can focus on what is being taught in the classroom.”
Dunlop said that the advertising campaign about the new rules began this week and will include online and print spots.
This is a breaking news story. More to come…