The Alberta government is considering whether schools need regulations around smartphones and other devices

Alberta’s education minister is considering whether the province’s schools need consistent regulations regarding cell phones and other smart devices in classrooms.

Both Ontario and Quebec have provincial governments banning students from using cell phones during class time, except when teachers determine they need the devices for schoolwork.

Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says a sample of 16 school authorities across the province found more than half had no policies on smartphone use.

“I hear a lot from teachers and parents about distractions. About concerns about bullying and harassment online. So we have to address this,” Nicolaides said in an interview earlier this month.

Nicolaides said he hasn’t yet decided whether Alberta should have a blanket policy or require school officials to set their own rules.

In April and early May, Alberta Education conducted a public online survey on smartphone use in schools. Over 68,000 people responded, 70 percent of them parents.

The government has not yet published the results. Nicolaides said this is part of gauging Albertans’ sentiment on the issue.

In January, the government of British Columbia announced that BC school divisions must develop a phone policy that will be in effect for the 2024-25 school year.

The Ontario government, which has had a no-phone policy in place since 2019, announced last month that the rules would be tightened in September.

Primary school students will not be allowed to use phones during classes. Students of junior high and high schools will be able to use mobile phones only during breaks or in classes with the teacher’s consent.

Alberta teachers want to have their say on smartphone use

Supporters of the restrictions point to evidence that children and teenagers who spend more time glued to their phones experience poorer mental health and feelings of isolation, as well as being distracted from learning.

However, there are caveats to consider, such as students using phones for medical purposes, possible exemptions for students with disabilities who use adaptive technology on their own devices, and children suffering ruthless abuse using phones to contact their parents.

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling says many teachers are exhausted from trying to control students’ smartphone use in the classroom. (Sam Martin/CBC)

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling said many teachers are increasingly frustrated with students bringing phones, smart watches or tablets to class.

Even when devices are placed face down on desks, the buzzing sound and the sight of screens lighting up distract attention, he added.

Teachers fear they will be held responsible for lost and stolen phones if they take them during classes, he added.

On the other hand, Schilling said phones are powerful tools and students need to learn how to use them to function in the digital world.

And when schools cannot afford modern computer equipment or high-speed Internet, teachers can use students’ phones during digital classes.

Earlier this month, ATA members meeting in Calgary voted 99 per cent in favor of the association’s position that the use of smart devices should be banned in the classroom “to promote a focused, engaging and safe learning environment,” except when teachers allow them to use digital devices Lessons.

12th grade student Chelsea Kwon says that when she looks at her phone in class, she is tempted to check her messages.

Kwon, a student supervisor in Edmonton Public Schools, says teachers at her Dr. Anne Anderson high school make their own rules about phone use.

She said schools should put more emphasis on teaching smart digital citizenship.

“We as teenagers need to know that we need to take responsibility for our actions and that we need to be responsible for the technology we use,” she said.

Kwon said she likes the idea of ​​a uniform phone policy because students will feel like they are treated fairly regardless of the school they attend.

Parents divided on the need for phones

Calgary parent Wolly Barabash was unhappy to hear that a blanket policy on school phone use was being considered.

His son Michael, 15, is a 10th-grader at Bishop Carroll High School, which follows a self-directed learning model.

Michael does not use his phone during seminars, but prefers to complete assigned readings and submit assignments on his phone. He also maintains text message contact with parents during the school day.

Calgary parent Wolly Barabash says students like his son Michael, 15, should have access to smart devices during the day because it’s the most efficient way for them to get work done. (Posted by Wolly Barabasz)

Barabash said high school students are mature enough to learn how to use devices responsibly and productively. Teachers need the flexibility to decide which classes will take responsibility, he said.

“The overall policy would be really bad and, quite frankly, it would be a nightmare for teachers to enforce it,” Barabasz said.

Edmonton mother Barbara Gutziet sees it differently. She is frustrated by teenagers staring at their phones instead of socializing and going outside.

Her son Jason (14) is in Year 9 at a primary school where phones are only allowed during lunch hours and after the dismissal bell.

Gutziet worries that cell phone policies will become more permissive once Jason enters high school. He doesn’t understand why students would need phones in class when most schools have carts full of Chromebooks.

Barbara Gutziet says she wants schools to restrict cell phone access to students like her 14-year-old son Jason. (Posted by Barbara Gutziet)

“Keeping students’ attention and engaging them in class is quite a challenge,” Gutziet said. “Digital devices are just really hard to control.”

Nicolaides said there is no timetable for making a decision on the future of smart devices in Alberta classrooms.

He said examining the issue is part of the province’s work to refresh the province’s outdated policy on technology in schools.