Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and area news from CHCH - Hamilton, Halton, and Niagara news..
Ontario’s Education Minister, Stephen Lecce, is implementing new rules to reduce cell phone use and prohibit vaping after seeing an “alarming rise” of distractions in classrooms.
The new rules include restricting access to all social media platforms on school networks and devices, a move the government says is the first of its kind among Canadian provinces.
Additionally, report cards will now include comments on students’ distraction levels in class.
The province is investing $17.5 million to support these initiatives.
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Starting in September, students in kindergarten to grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day unless they get permission from an educator.
As for students in grades 7 to 12, Lecce says phones will not be permitted during class time unless told otherwise.
“If they do not comply, they will be asked to surrender their phones or they could be sent to the office,” said Lecce.
Some parents in the Hamilton area say for the most part they were in favour of the new policy though they have concerns about the report card aspect.
“It’s a great initiative it should be implemented as soon as possible cause I believe phones and vapes are very big issues and they should be tackled,” said one resident.
Although some students said they’re not too thrilled about the new rules.
“I feel like it’s not really the smartest idea to have to put on report cards since you don’t know what the student’s intention is in using the cellphone, like yes you can use it for negative reasons but you can also use it for positive,” says a student.
Annie Kidder with People for Education says phone addiction is a challenge.
“We have to be thinking about kid’s mental health maybe cellphones are one part of it but there are other things that we need to think of when it comes to their mental health,” says Kidder.
As for vaping, it is now banned in Ontario schools and students will now be required to turn over any vape products or cigarettes they’re caught with at school.
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