Ontario will introduce tough new limits on cellphones in schools amid increased warnings around the harmful effects of screen time on kids, the Star has learned.
Bolstered by internal polling that shows a majority of Ontarians support bans on phones during the school day — and as jurisdictions around Canada and the world are setting stricter limits — sources say Education Minister Stephen Lecce will bring in changes to eliminate distractions so kids can devote their attention in class to learning.
The move follows a series of lawsuits launched by Ontario school boards seeking $4.5 billion from TikTok, Snapchat and Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) that accuses them of deliberately hurting students’ mental health and interfering with their learning.
The issue of cellphones in schools has been a tricky one for schools and teachers to work around, with rules varying from board to board and, in some cases, even school to school. Cyberbullying during and outside of school hours has also become an issue that boards have struggled to address.
Previous cellphone limits announced in 2019 by the province proved unenforceable, but sources say this new plan will “have teeth” and empower teachers, unlike recent efforts in Quebec that have fallen short.
The measures are expected to be among the toughest in North America.
While Lecce would not confirm any details of an announcement he is set to make on Sunday, he said in a statement to the Star that “this province and country has a serious issue with cellphone use in the classroom, along with alarmingly high vape and cannabis rates amongst our youth. We can’t sit back and let this continue; we will tackle this issue head-on through more enforcement, education and support for students.”
Lecce said the Ford government “will work with parents, educators, students, principals, public health and school boards to meaningfully change the culture for the better in schools on cellphones and youth vaping.”
A study commissioned by the Progressive Conservative caucus, conducted by Campaign Research and obtained by the Star, found that 75 per cent of respondents favoured a “full restriction on students using their personal cellphones from the start of the class to the end of the class” — support that held no matter what part of the province they live in — and that nine in 10 believe cellphones in class are a distraction.
Some 85 per cent of those polled believe that limits “would help students focus on their studies,” and 87 per cent for cellphones “must be put away” and “not used during class time.”
More than three-quarters agreed with giving teachers the power to confiscate phones, the poll found, with 18 per cent opposed. “Opposition was slightly higher with those adults under 34 years of age,” the poll noted.
Nine of 10 respondents also favoured “tougher enforcement and penalties on students who repeatedly used their cellphones in the classroom during instructional time,” and the same number said parents “will need to play a critical role to help with this new approach.”
The study was conducted April 11 and 12 among a sample of 1,488 Ontarians who are part of Maru Blue’s online panel. A probability sample of a similar size would have a margin of error of plus/minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The Toronto public and Catholic school boards have both been looking into establishing their own cellphone rules, especially looking at social media addiction issues, as well as how teachers could handle and enforce an outright ban.
Some teachers have argued that education around use of devices is better, given phones are a reality and can be used positively and the technology incorporated into lessons. And while parents like the idea of distraction-free learning, they also like the ability to be reach their kids during the day.
In jurisdictions around the world that have banned phones from schools, studies have indicated kids’ mental health improved as did their academic grades.
The Toronto District School Board — the largest in the country and among the largest boards in North America — wants to look at a policy that can be enforced. Currently in Ontario schools, phones can be used for learning, or by students with medical or special needs.
Last year, Lecce said school boards needed to crack down on cellphone use, especially for social media.
“I strongly support actions taken by school boards to reduce the distractions within schools, even from social media or cellphone use, ” Lecce said at the time.
“Many parents have written to the ministry and advocated for us to remove the distractions that hold back kids from learning the curriculum. From TikTok to social media, to cellphone use, we all have to step up to reduce the impact it’s having on learning.”
Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, has previously said that cellphones can be used for teaching purposes but “we should be setting reasonable limits.”
“We’ve got to find that happy medium between, ‘put your phone away and do your work and then you can have it at lunchtime,’ and not having it at all,” she said. “There’s got to be somewhere in between.”
The allegations contained in the lawsuits launched by the school boards have not been proven in court, and the social media giants have previously told the Star they stand by their products.
A Snapchat spokesperson has told the Star the app “was intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media, with a focus on helping Snapchatters communicate with their close friends. Snapchat opens directly to a camera — rather than a feed of content — and has no traditional public likes or comments.”
While “we will always have more work to do, we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence,” the spokesperson said.
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