Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
CTV
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The new rules will go into effect in the 2024-2025 academic year.
As of September, students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be asked to keep their phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day, unless permitted by an educator.
Students between Grades 7 and 12 have a little more flexibility, with cellphones only banned during class time.
If a student breaks the rules, their cellphone should be immediately surrendered to a staff members and parents will be notified.
“We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cellphones in classrooms are distracting kids from learning,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement released Sunday.
“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.”