Canada

How a Connecticut middle school won the battle against cellphones https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/01/school-cellphones-confiscate/

This is gonna be one of those laws that we have but never use. This just doesnt seem possible to me I see teachers on their phones in classes sometimes. I know they are adults but you think teenagers are gonna think the same lol

I'm surprised it took this long. Cellphones should be placed in lockers or into classroom size cellphone holder/chargers that many schools use when they enter class if they are not asked to keep it in their lockers all day, save lunch.

Surprised by some of the comments, def not teachers but sound like folks who might die if you were to separate them from their phones.

Cellphones in classrooms are a problem and shouldn't be allowed whether that's 100% enforceable or not.

How are we going to enforce these?

Because you already can't vape in schools, and it's been possible for boards to ban cellphones, but teachers don't have the backing of administration and they're certainly not protected from liability.

If I were a teacher knowing that if I were to bust little Johnny for TikToking in class or vaping in the washroom, I'd have to face a belligerent student and/or angry parents and the principal, superintendant and ministry would hang me out to dry, I wouldn't bother.

This is just another Ford government way to put the public sector in a lose-lose position so that they can, in this case, start out a voucher system run by private-sector buddies.

I haven't taught in Ontario in over a decade, but I don't think the problems with cell phones are unique to Ontario. I'm surprised by the comments here, tbh.

The research is very clear: mental health (and educational outcomes) for youth have taken a nosedive since 2010, when smart phones became commonplace. In the case of educational outcomes, 2010 is the first ever reversal in the otherwise increasing trend.

Smart phones are addiction machines, with predatory apps like SnapChat that are full of dark patterns designed to increase "engagement" (addiction) while having the same short-attention-span-decreasing exposure to video shorts as TikTok that encourage self harm, suicidal ideation, misogyny, and eating disorders. (On average, all of the above within 10 minutes of starting to use the platform.)

Educators cannot compete with addiction machines. If we were writing laws objectively to improve student mental health, smart phones should be illegal for users under age 16 (at least).

This is an example of a shit government making a good decision. I hope the rest of Canada follows.

Sask Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission has a similar policy of no electronic devices in the classroom. They can be outside the classroom during breaks(of which there are many). You’re allowed to have them on you, and leave class to take or make a call if you consider it important enough, just can’t have them out in the classroom. While it would have been nice sometimes to have access to network connected devices to supplement the classes, I can also understand the arguments around privacy, and distraction particularly among children/teens.

They would rather sweep the problem under the rug rather than teaching kids about responsible and safe use of technology etc… it’s far easier and less costly.