A Department of Education and Early Childhood Development policy has been updated to be more stringent and clarify teachers' authority to oversee cellphone use in classrooms.
"We have evidence that indicates we should limit cellphone use in classrooms," said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. "The clarifications we are making will strengthen Policy 311 by reinforcing the ability of teachers to effectively oversee cellphone use in their classrooms and limit their use to teaching or medical purposes."
Section 6.13 has been added to the policy to outline the key changes, which include:
- At the teacher's discretion, cellphone use by students is allowed in classrooms for educational reasons. During class time, teachers will have students place their cellphones in a designated area of the classroom on silent mode.
- Students who use their cellphone for medical reasons, such as diabetes self-management, may continue to use it.
- Examples of actions that could lead to student discipline are provided.
The updated policy will take effect for the next school year. The current policy is to be followed in the meantime. Both are available online.
