Albertans are getting ready to say goodbye to cellphones in the classroom in the new school year. The move was announced on Monday, June 18, by the province's education ministry, Demetrios Nicolaides.
He said there will be exceptions for students who use phones for health needs, such as monitoring blood sugar levels. Otherwise, personal devices must be turned off and stored out of sight during class time. School internet networks will also have to limit access to social media, Nicolaides said.
He said that cellphones can help with learning but can also be a distraction and lead to cyberbullying.
In Manitoba, the Hanover School Division recently announced that it will ban phones for kindergarten to Grade 8 students in the new school year.
The Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine banned cellphones from classrooms in October 2023, saying they had become a major distraction. Students in kindergarten through Grade 8 are not allowed to bring them into schools. High school students can't have phones in the classroom, but can access them on breaks.