Alberta’s education minister is considering whether the province’s schools need consistent rules about cellphones and other smart devices in classrooms.
Ontario and Quebec both impose provincial bans on students using cellphones during class, except when teachers say they need the devices for schoolwork.
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says a sample of 16 school authorities in the province found more than half had no smartphone use policy.
“I hear a lot from teachers and parents about distractions. About concerns about bullying and online harassment. So it’s something that we need to address,” Nicolaides said in an interview earlier this month.
Nicolaides said he hasn’t yet decided whether Alberta should adopt a blanket policy, or whether each school authority should set its own rules.
In April and early May, Alberta Education conducted an online public survey on smartphone use in schools. More than 68,000 people responded, 70 percent of whom were parents.
The government has not yet collected the results. Nicolaides said this was part of gauging Albertans’ feelings on the issue.
In January, the British Columbia government announced that B.C.’s school divisions must develop a phone use policy that will take effect for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Ontario government, which has had a phone ban policy in place since 2019, announced last month that the rules would be tightened in September.
Primary school students cannot use their phones during the school day. Students in lower and upper grades may only use their phones during breaks, or in the classrooms with permission from the teacher.
Teachers in Alberta want a say in smartphone use
Restriction advocates point to evidence that children and teens who spend more time glued to their phones experience poorer mental health and feelings of isolation, as well as being distracted from learning.
But there are caveats to consider, such as students using their phones for medical reasons, possible exemptions for students with disabilities who use adaptive technologies on their own devices, and children facing relentless bullying who use phones to contact to record with their parents.
Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, says many teachers are exhausted trying to manage students’ smartphone use in the classroom. (Sam Martin/CBC)
Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, said many teachers are becoming increasingly frustrated when students bring phones, smartwatches or tablets to class.
Even when the devices are face down on their desks, the buzzing sound and the sight of glowing screens is a distraction, he said.
Teachers fear they will be held liable for lost and stolen phones if they retrieve the devices during classes, he said.
On the other hand, Schilling said phones are powerful tools and students need to learn how to use them to function in a digital world.
And when schools can’t afford modern computing equipment or high-speed internet, teachers can rely on students’ phones for digital classroom activities.
Earlier this month, ATA members in Calgary voted 99 per cent in favor of the association taking the position that smart devices should be banned during class hours “to promote a focused, engaging and safe learning environment” except when teachers allow them. for digital use. classes.
Grade 12 student Chelsea Kwon says she has felt tempted to check her messages when she looks at her phone in class.
Kwon, a student administrator with Edmonton Public Schools, says teachers at her high school, Dr. Anne Anderson, make their own rules around phone use.
She said schools should place more emphasis on teaching sensible digital citizenship.
“We teenagers need to know that we need to take responsibility for our actions, and we need to be responsible with the technology we use,” she said.
Kwon said she likes the idea of consistent phone rules because students feel like they are being treated fairly no matter what school they attend.
Parents divided over the need for telephones
Calgary parent Wolly Barabash wasn’t happy when he heard a blanket policy on school phone use was being considered.
His son Michael, 15, is a 10th grader at Bishop Carroll High School, which uses a self-directed learning model.
Michael does not use his phone during seminars, preferring to do assigned readings and submit assignments via his phone. He also maintains contact with his parents via text message during the school day.
Calgary parent Wolly Barabash says students like his son Michael, 15, need to have access to smart devices during the day because it’s the most efficient way for them to complete their work. (Submitted by Wolly Barabash)
High school students are mature enough to learn how to use devices responsibly and productively, Barabash says. Teachers need the flexibility to decide which classes can handle the responsibility, he said.
“A blanket policy would be really bad and, frankly, it would be a nightmare for teachers to enforce,” Barabash said.
Edmonton parent Barbara Gutziet sees it differently. She is frustrated by the sight of teenagers staring at their phones instead of socializing and going outside.
Her son Jason, 14, is in 9th grade at an elementary school that only allows phone access during lunch and after the dismissal bell rings.
Gutziet worries that cell phone policies will become more liberal when Jason goes to high school. She doesn’t understand why students need phones in class when most schools have carts full of Chromebooks to use.
Barbara Gutziet says she wants schools to limit cell phone access for students like her 14-year-old son Jason. (Submitted by Barbara Gutziet)
“It’s a struggle to keep students’ attention and keep them engaged in the classroom,” Gutziet says. “Digital devices are just very, very difficult to control.”
Nicolaides said there is no timeline for making a decision on the future of smart devices in Alberta classrooms.
He said looking into the issue is part of the province’s work to refresh an outdated provincial policy on technology in schools.