Last year, the Ford government announced a supposed crackdown on cellphone use in Ontario schools.
According to the new rules, which took effect last September, kids in kindergarten to Grade 6 are required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day, while students in Grade 7 and up aren't allowed to use phones during class time.
Is it working? The reviews are mixed at best.
This week, another Canadian province went one step further.
Quebec is ushering in a "full ban" starting this September, which means the devices won't be allowed during the entire school day, including breaks.
"Too many conflicts, too much violence, starts with cellphones, sometimes even during class hours," said Bernard Drainville, Quebec's education minister. "When there are no cellphones, young people talk."
On tonight's 'Closer Look,' we revisit a recent episode of our Inside the Village podcast featuring University of Ottawa education professor Sachin Maharaj, a leading researcher on the impact of cellphones in schools.
"We have pretty definitive evidence at this point that just the presence of phones in classrooms causes distractions and results in lower levels of student learning," he told the podcast.
You can watch the full episode HERE.
Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.
Every episode is can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.
Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.
Want to see more video features from Village Media? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
.svg)
.svg)