HALIFAX 鈥� The use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices won鈥檛 be allowed during classroom hours at public schools across Nova Scotia beginning this fall.
Education Minister Becky Druhan announced a new provincewide directive Thursday, which will have students turn off their personal mobile devices and store them out of sight during instructional time.
Under the change, elementary schools will require students to store their devices for the entire school day, but junior high and high schools will be permitted to have their own rules regarding phone use during lunch and other breaks.
Druhan made the announcement at Clayton Park Junior High School in Halifax, which has had its own ban on the use of cellphones and personal devices since September.
鈥淩esearch and experience tells us that there are benefits to limiting access to cellphones and personal mobile devices in schools,鈥� said Druhan. 鈥淐lassrooms that are free of those devices enhance learning, improve social interactions and improve and promote well-小蓝视频.鈥�
The minister said that although many schools have already instituted their own restrictions, it鈥檚 hoped the directive will help support all schools when the rules change in September.
鈥淭his directive will provide consistency and clarity for school staff, students and families,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his really sets our minimum expectations across the province for policies that schools will implement.鈥�
The minister added that schools will ensure that parents and students are able to get in touch with each other during emergencies.
Clayton Park principal Trina Canavan called her school鈥檚 experience with banning the use of cellphones and personal devices such as earbuds and smart watches 鈥渋ncredibly positive.鈥� The use of the devices is not allowed in classrooms, hallways, washrooms or on school grounds for the duration of any school day, she said.
鈥淚鈥檝e noticed an increase in student engagement both in academics and socially. Students are interacting with staff and their peers allowing all staff to get to know students better as people and as learners.鈥�
Canavan said there鈥檚 also been a noticeable decrease in incidents such as the bullying that can result from the use of social media, while academic achievement in areas such as mathematics has improved because of greater focus in the classroom.
She said a key to the ban鈥檚 success has been communicating with students and their families about why various steps have been taken.
Lujain Elbatie, a Grade 8 student at the school, said she hasn鈥檛 missed using a cellphone during the school day and believes prohibiting their use leads to better interaction with teachers and other students.
鈥淎t school it鈥檚 actually a lot better because people focus more,鈥� said Elbatie, who added that she鈥檚 also noticed effects outside of the classroom in places such as the school soccer field, which in the past was often deserted during breaks.
鈥淭his year when you go outside at lunch they have to do something, so they play basketball, they play soccer, they play volleyball," she said. "It鈥檚 actually really creative and it鈥檚 really nice to have people actually playing.鈥�
Elbatie, whom school administrators made available to speak to media, said that while she still likes her phone, she realizes 鈥渢here鈥檚 more to life than just 小蓝视频 on your phone.鈥�
With Thursday鈥檚 announcement, Nova Scotia will join Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, which already restrict cellphone use in schools, while New Brunswick also plans to implement its own restrictions in September.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2024.
Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press
