Minister of Education Lisa Thompson announced Tuesday morning that the Ontario government will look to ban cellphones in the province’s classrooms.
This would be done in time for the 2019-20 school year starting in September. “I’m solidly in favour of (this),” says M.P.P. for Hastings-Lennox and Addington Daryl Kramp. He says he’s spoken with parents and educators who are frustrated with the “diversion of attention away from education, the staff, the learning and the relationships (while at school).” Kramp says he has no problem with cellphones being used effectively but says calls students staring at their phones while in class “regressive.”
CBC reports that the enforcement of the ban would be up to individual schools and boards. Exceptions could be made for teachers who want to use cellphones as a teaching tool, for medical reasons or to help students with special needs. Kramp says he trusts the judgement of educators in deciding how cellphones should be used – if at all – in the classroom.
When reached for comment, Kerry Donnell, the Communications Officer with the Hastings and Prince Edward school board, said that a response will be given by the school board next week. “By that time we may have details from the Ministry of Education as nothing has come through so far,” she told My Bancroft Now.