Since provincial cellphone restrictions for students took effect last September, teaching staff in Evergreen School Division schools are reporting fewer issues with distractions and more attention on the curriculum.
ESD superintendent and CEO Scott Hill said while the division had its own guidelines in place for cellphone use prior to the government bringing forth restrictions, the new directive shows that the province “has our back” and that there are many benefits to restricting the use of the devices.
“Some of the benefits that our staff are noticing include more activity and play during non-instructional times, fewer disruptions in class, enhanced student effort and engagement, and reduced stress on staff,” said Hill.
ESD school principals say that by and large, students have been “very receptive” to the new rules and that they’ve had minimal need to remind students of what’s expected, said Hill. And teachers say they’ve noticed that students are “more focused” and “on task” during lessons.
“In advance of having clear guidelines that were consistently upheld, principals report that students who weren’t on their own phones were often distracted by those who were, [and] these concerns have been greatly reduced, creating a more focused and productive learning environment,” said Hill. “In high school there are built-in opportunities to use their phones, which teaches students when it’s acceptable and when it’s not to be on their phone, much like in a workplace environment.”
In addition to fewer disruptions in class and a reduction in staff stress, Hill said the provincial directive has raised the level of awareness among educators, students and parents about the “potential harms and negative impact of smartphones” not just on learning, but also on mental health and well-being.
The provincial government announced last August it was restricting the use of cellphones by students in kindergarten to Grade 12, citing the distractibility of the devices and studies showing students taking up to 20 minutes to refocus on their school work. The directive came in to effect at the start of the 2024 school year.
Students in kindergarten to Grade 8 are banned altogether from using cellphones in school, including at lunch and during breaks, while grades 9 to 12 students cannot use cellphones in class but are allowed to use them on breaks and at lunch. The provincial guidelines include cellphone exceptions for students with medical or other learning needs, or when cellphone use is directed by teachers for educational purposes.
Thirty-nine per cent of Canadian children aged two to six used a mobile phone, according to 2022 data from Statista.com, with 49 per cent of children aged seven to 11 and 87 per cent of teens aged 12 to 17 using one. Studies on the ability of cellphones to distract – which include access to social media apps, videos, and so forth – have shown negative impacts on attention, memory, critical thinking and opportunities for person-to-person interaction. A Canadian-led mental health and addiction study published in 2023 showed a third of people from countries around the world could be at risk of addiction to their phones.
Most ESD students accepted the cellphone restrictions without issue, said Hill. Some schools reported a few challenges at the outset, such a “handful” of students leaving class more often for bathroom breaks that may have been more about accessing their phones. But other schools indicated a reduction in the frequency of students asking to take breaks.
“As with any policy directive, consistency is important,” said Hill. “So there has been an effort at schools to establish consistency across classrooms. And at the division level, there has been an effort to establish consistency across schools.”
Citing feedback from students, Hill said some are “happy” and that “it’s okay to not have a phone.” Others have called the restrictions “unfair.” That said, middle years students who have clearance to leave school grounds at lunch can still access their phones, and high school students can access them during breaks.
“Some students also shared that they feel more secure about their own privacy at school now that there are clear restrictions,” said Hill. “The vast majority of students have adjusted readily to the expectations and it’s typical to get a response such as this one from a Grade 10 student: ‘I feel like I pay more attention in class now.’”
As far as the teaching staff go, most are saying cellphones are really not much of an issue anymore and that they rarely need to address their usage, said Hill.
“I think that the removal of phones from learning environments has helped bring about a more positive context for teaching and learning,” he said. “This step has greatly helped improve classroom management and reduced teacher stress.”
