There are new rules surrounding cellphone use in New Brunswick classrooms to start the school year.
Students will now have to place their phones in a designated area on silent during class time.
Phones may be allowed at times for educational reasons, but it will be at the discretion of the teacher.
Students who use their phones for medical reasons will still be able to keep them on hand.
“We have evidence that indicates we should limit cellphone use in classrooms,” Education Minister Bill Hogan said when announcing the changes in May.
“The clarifications we are making will strengthen Policy 311 by reinforcing the ability of teachers to effectively oversee cellphone use in their classrooms and limit their use to teaching or medical purposes.”
The updated policy also outlines examples of actions that could lead to student discipline.
They include accessing websites and files considered to be “unlawful, obscene, pornographic, erotic, abusive, gambling, discriminatory, hate-motivated, seditious, harassing, counter to a positive learning environment, demeaning or otherwise unacceptable for school.”
Students could also face consequences if they use school computers or technology to solicit funds or sell items unless it is approved fundraising by the school.
A recent poll by Narrative Research found that 83 per cent of New Brunswickers support a cellphone ban in classrooms.
When asked why, the prevailing reason is to remove a distraction in the learning environment, followed by mentions that a ban would encourage students to focus on their studies.
Other reasons cited include that cellphones serve no purpose in classrooms or that they are overused and an addiction risk.
Among the 13 per cent who oppose a ban, the most common reasons are that cellphones are useful in case of emergencies, that only usage abuse should be penalized instead of a blanket ban and that cellphones are great educational or research tools.
Results are from an online survey conducted between Aug. 8 and 21. As a non-probability sample, a margin of error is not applied.
