With ongoing concerns about disruptions to student learning, the provincial government is laying down the law on cellphone use by students in kindergarten to Grade 12.
Starting this September, the province is prohibiting younger students from using cellphones in school, but allowing older students to use their phones on breaks or at lunch.
Other provinces such as B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia have already announced that they’ll be banning or restricting cellphones this coming school year to reduce distractions.
The Manitoba Conservatives’ education critic Grant Jackson said a few weeks ago that cellphones are a “major problem” in schools and had called on the government to implement a province-wide policy to address a “patchwork” of existing policies that some school divisions had already put in place.
The Manitoba government issued its directive late last week.
“We want young people to be able to focus in class so they can learn more and feel confident. We know cellphones can be a real distraction for students – studies show it can take up to 20 minutes for a child to refocus on what they were learning once distracted,” said NDP education and early childhood learning minister Nello Altomare in an Aug. 15 news release. “These provincial guidelines will give teachers the tools they need to keep students focused and ensure class time is spent on learning. Plus, we will take safety and medical concerns into account so all risks are minimized.”
The government will be requiring schools and school divisions to implement updated policies to “ensure consistency” across the province.
Students in kindergarten to Grade 8 will not be allowed to use cellphones in school, including during lunch and breaks. Students in grades 9 to 12 will not be allowed to use cellphones during class time, but they’re free to use them during breaks and lunch. School staff must also be given “clear direction” for cellphone use in classrooms. There will some exceptions to the rules in order to support students with “medical and diverse learning needs,” said the minister.
Under the Public Schools Act, school divisions are required to establish use of technology policies tailored to local needs, the minister noted.
The problematic nature of cellphones and other digital devices in schools was outlined in 2015 by the Manitoba Teachers’ Society. It noted a number of challenges with cellphones, tablets and other devices including texting during lessons, sexting, bullying, taking photos and videos in places such as change rooms and bathrooms, cheating and plagiarism, theft of personal devices and inconsistent standards from one class to the next.
The Evergreen School Division and the Lakeshore School Division had already been working on reducing cellphone distractions in their respective schools through various means, including education.
The Evergreen School Division oversees schools in Arborg, Riverton, Gimli and Winnipeg Beach. Superintendent Scott Hill said the province’s directive serves as a reminder to the public that cellphone use among children and teens can affect learning and social behaviours.
“We welcome the provincial government’s interest and direction in placing limits on cellphones in school in an effort to remove distractions and in support of safe and caring learning environments,” said Hill. “We have been on a trajectory of putting our own limits in place, and this directive should provide more consistency across school divisions. It also signals to the public that smartphone use among children, adolescents and teens is a matter worth paying attention to.”
When asked how much time teachers spend monitoring cellphone distractions in the classroom, Hill said it’s difficult to quantify, but can say it’s “excessive.”
“Beyond the issue of distraction, there is plenty of research – Jean Twenge and Jonathan Haidt are two researchers of note – pointing to a steady decline in adolescent mental health and well-being that corresponds with the rise in the use of smartphones and related social media apps,” said Hill. “Research also shows that placing limits on cellphones at school can be a positive step in efforts to improve learning and well-being.”
Technology and social media platforms are readily available to children, and they can easily take youngsters into dangerous territory.
For years, Hill said Evergreen teaching staff have been engaged in teaching kids how to use technology safely in order to protect themselves and show respect for others.
“Our schools have been in the habit, for many years, of teaching kids about safe ways to use technology. This includes attention paid to the dangers of common social media apps, protecting oneself online and appropriate online behaviour.,” said Hill. “This takes place during regular classroom instructional time in various subjects and also with support through materials and resources from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.”
Hill said cellphones are not “critical or necessary” to Evergreen’s education plan. The division’s priority areas related to student achievement, Indigenous education, wellbeing and instructional leadership are not dependent on student use of cellphones.
The Lakeshore School Division oversees schools in Lundar, Ashern, Moosehorn, Eriksdale, Fisher Branch, Inwood, as well as the Broad Valley Colony School and Marble Ridge Colony School.
Donald Nikkel, Lakeshore’s superintendent of HR, policy and alternative program director, said the division recognizes the challenges that come with and the impacts of cellphone use.
Last fall, Lakeshore’s board considered cellphone usage in the classroom and had sent out a survey to gain input. It was decided at that time to continue to allow individual schools to create their own policies, he said. But under the province’s directive, Lakeshore will be creating a divisional regulation and procedure to align with the requirements.
“We definitely recognize the challenges with cellphones and the impact that they can have on student focus and interactions. There’s a time and a place for cellphone usage, and navigating this technology is a challenge for both adults and students alike. It’s our responsibility as educators to help prepare students for their futures and to build the skills that they need to navigate the world,” said Nikkel. “There’s also a major difference between various age groups and a need to have a gradient of increased responsibility as students move through the education system. While cellphone-free schools might be positive for certain age groups, consideration should be given to how educators can help mentor appropriate usage as students enter higher grade levels.”
Lakeshore schools and teachers currently have a variety of guidelines and strategies in place to limit cellphone use and to ensure they’re not distracting students; those measures are “largely” successful. As to how much time teachers spend instructing or advising students on inappropriate or dangerous sites, as well as harmful social media messaging, Nikkel said it depends on the grade level.
“The amount of time a teacher spends on appropriate technology usage would depend on the grade level and subject area. A significant amount of time in high school ELA classes would likely be spent on navigating online information while younger grades would spend less time,” said Nikkel. “Our schools have also facilitated a number of sessions as the need has arisen.”
When asked if cellphones are critical to Lakeshore’s curricular objectives, Nikkel said while cellphone usage is not a specific part of the curriculum, “every teacher is aware of how important it is to equip our students with the skills they need to navigate this challenging technology.”
