Toronto schools are set to ban cell phones
This means a tightening of the 2019 policy.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is considering a complete ban on cell phone use by students, and the Ontario Ministry of Education is welcoming the move.
TDSB chair Rachel Chernos Lin has formally called for a review of the current cell phone policy. Pupils are currently allowed to use them for educational, medical and some other purposes, but the council believes this approach is "not working as well as it could".
"A strong policy is needed that better supports teachers, is enforceable, and, ultimately, supports student well-being and academic achievement," Lin commented on the initiative.
The existing cell phone policy was introduced in 2019. The onus was placed on individual school boards to develop their own codes of conduct in line with the province-wide policy.
According to Lin, the use of cell phones is a serious problem in classrooms. Firstly, they distract from the learning process, and secondly, they prevent students from communicating with each other.
When asked how parents should then contact their children in case of need, TDSB responds with a joke:
"We still have landlines <...> If parents are concerned, they can call the school's office if they really need to speak to their kid or have their child pulled out of class...we do expect some pushback, but I expect there will be a lot of happy parents about this."
The issue of cell phones in Toronto schools will be considered on January 18. If the bill passes, the committee will begin work on creating a new policy.
