As cell phones in the classroom become a thing of the past, students are longing for the good old days.
Meghan Jadeske, a Grade 11 student at Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI), believes that if students are following the rules, they shouldn't be included in the cell phone ban.
"I like listening to music in class because it helps me focus, but now I can't."
Ani Hulley, another PCI Grade 11 student, understands why the province decided to take cell phones out of school but also thinks there's a time when phones in school can be helpful, especially when it comes to contacting their parents if they're on a school trip.
"I would want to text my mom and tell her where I am since she'd want to know," explains Hulley. "Plus, I'd be bored if I was on a bus ride doing nothing. I would want to know where I am and how long it would take."
Chloe Kneeshaw, a Grade 12 student from Macgregor Collegiate Institute, has a different stance, as she never had her phone in class before the ban.
"If I'm going to have my phone in class, I'm using it for something that the teacher has said you can use your phone for," says Kneeshaw. "When I started in Grade 9, we had cell phone holders that we were supposed to put our cell phones in. I think it's just kind of cracked down a bit more."
She says the easiest way to deal with the cell phone ban is simple: out of sight, out of mind. Kneeshaw recommends leaving your phone either at home or in your locker if you're struggling to avoid using it.