The Government of Alberta announced Monday afternoon that it will ban the use of cellphones in schools starting this fall and restrict access to social media sites.
Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides gave the update on the use of personal mobile devices and social media in Alberta schools while in Calgary.
Come the fall 2024/25 school year, students will no longer be permitted to use personal mobile devices during class time, and access to social media sites in schools will be restricted.
“The use of cellphones is of significant concern, and I am confident that these restrictions will reduce distractions, maximize learning time, support student mental health and reduce opportunities for cyberbullying,” said Nicolaides.
These rules will apply to all K-12 public, separate, francophone, public charter, independent school authorities and early childhood services operators.
“During class time all personal devices must be turned off and be stored out of sight. This could be a backpack, a locker, or any other area as determined by an individual school board,” Nicolaides added.
Personal mobile devices include smartphones, smartwatches, headphones and other personal electronic devices.
The Province says school authorities will implement locally developed policies and procedures for the use of personal mobile devices and social media in their schools. These policies and procedures must reflect provincial standards but will still allow areas of autonomy and flexibility to meet the unique needs of the communities and students they serve.
School authorities will share details on their policies and rules with parents and guardians over the coming weeks and months.
Exceptions will be made provincewide for students using mobile devices for health and medical needs, to support specialized learning needs and for educational purposes.
The issue of cellphones in schools has even become a political point in neighbouring BC, with the leader of the opposition there vowing to ban cellphones in kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms province-wide if he’s elected in October.
Some other provinces have enacted policies on cellphones in schools, including Ontario, which restricts cellphone use during instructional time and only makes exceptions for students using them for health reasons (including mental health) and for teacher-sanctioned activities, such as conducting internet research.
Quebec also banned cellphones in class in December, with the prohibition taking effect when students returned to the classroom earlier this year.
With files from Megan Devlin