Government Plans School Cellphone Use Crackdown, Removing Social Media Websites From Networks And School Devices

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The Government of Ontario is announcing new rules to on school cellphone use.

Students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day, unless explicitly permitted by an educator. For students in Grades 7 to 12, cellphones will not be permitted during class time unless explicitly directed by the educator.

Social media websites will be removed from all school networks and devices, and report cards will include comment on students’ distraction levels in class.

The government says they will provide mandatory training for teachers and new supports for students and parents.

“We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cellphones in classrooms are distracting kids from learning,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “When it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight and out of mind,’ as we get students back to the basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense back in Ontario schools.”

Ontario is the first province in Canada to have a provincewide social media ban on school networks and devices, and the new cellphone restrictions go further than any other jurisdiction in Canada.