alberta education asks parents about cellphone use in schools
4 minute read
a file photo of a group of teenagers watching their smartphones.
as ontario education takes the bold step of banning cellphones in all k-12 classrooms by this fall, the ucp government is surveying albertans on the same issue, asking how to better manage cellphone use in schools.
but parents and teachers say the issue is more complex than an outright ban, arguing that responsible use of cellphones — including better digital literacy and online citizenship taught in younger grades — is the best solution.
at the same time, the alberta teachers’ association is bringing a resolution to its annual assembly later this month, asking that teachers disallow cellphone use during instructional time.
“i’m concerned about a blanket policy,” said ata president jason schilling.
“when government creates a policy that needs to be implemented in schools, that policy just gets downloaded onto teachers and administrators and other staff.
“and we know that staff in schools are already dealing with a lot of challenges in terms of large class sizes and classroom complexity.”
last weekend, ontario education minister stephen lecce announced tough new measures aiming to reduce distractions and improve learning across k-12 schools.
the new policy means that for the 2024-25 academic year, all ontario students younger than grade 6 will have to keep phones out of sight throughout the school day. students from grades 7 to 12 will not be allowed to use cellphones at all during class time.
‘we have to learn how to be responsible’
a growing body of research and evidence is showing that increased use of cellphones and social media in youth can contribute to lower self-esteem, depression, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts. youth can also be at risk of online luring, trafficking and other types of abuse.
medeana moussa, spokeswoman for the support our students parent advocacy group, says that growing evidence is a big part of the reason schools need to do a better job of teaching students about responsible cellphone use.
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“the use of these phones is pervasive in our society, we have to learn how to be responsible,” she said.
“but as many kids get older, social media becomes this whole other part of their lives that they have to manage, especially by middle school, where they have to navigate this new social order.
“and there is also the addictive element, it’s built in to social media platforms. we know it’s intentional, and that can be really impactful on vulnerable children.”
a recent student survey released by the calgary board of education showed that the majority of students admit they’re not limiting screen time responsibly.
according to the 2022-23 data, only 43 per cent of students from grades 5 to 12 felt “they did not have too much screen time throughout their day.”
cbe, ccsd allow for schools, teachers to create own policies
moussa argued that since alberta education is in the midst of redeveloping curriculum, it needs to look more closely at how to teach digital literacy, to ensure online safety and recognize misinformation, as well as digital citizenship, to prevent online bullying.
but cbe officials say that while they don’t have a specific board-wide cellphone policy, they’re already ensuring students learn those strong digital skills.
“our schools are able to create their own cellphone use policies that work for their school communities,” said cbe spokeswoman joanne anderson.
a number of schools have phone policies that limit the use of electronics during school hours, anderson added, including “away for the day” policies that require students to keep phones and other devices in their lockers unless permitted by the teacher for specific learning purposes.
“we support and safeguard students as they develop online safety skills and learn to be good digital citizens in an environment that is safe, but that gradually broadens their experience.”
file photo: frontenac secondary school students put their cellphones away in classroom tins, initiated in march 2018, to help students detach from cellphones during class time.
julia mckay/the whig-standard/postmedia network
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officials with the calgary catholic school district also don’t have a blanket cellphone policy, saying that teachers can allow use at their discretion.
“ccsd believes that mobile phones can be positively used in schools when specifically incorporated into lesson plans,” said spokeswoman joanna french.
alberta ‘taking a close look’ at ontario policy: education minister
alberta education minister demetrios nicolaides said all avenues will be explored through the provincewide survey, which asks a variety of questions around what is or isn’t appropriate use of cellphones in schools and classrooms.
“we’re taking a close look at the new rules that the government of ontario just announced to better understand how it will be implemented,” nicolaides said.
“earlier this year i committed to talking more with parents, teachers and others about the use of cellphones in alberta’s schools and i am happy to follow through on that commitment.”
nicolaides added that while educators have said cellphones can be used to support learning, there are areas of concern.
“several studies suggest that smartphone and social media use can negatively impact mental health, affect adolescent self-view and more,” he said.
“it is imperative that we look at all measures possible to combat growing mental-health concerns among our youth and ensure we reduce the amount of distractions that might impede their learning.”
parents, students and interested albertans can find the survey, available online until may 3, at this link: https://your.alberta.ca/cellphones-in-schools/survey_tools/en
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