By Staff
August 31st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Parents might want to have a conversation with their children during the weekend on what they face when they return to school on Wednesday.
Parents had no control when their children were at school. That changes on Wednesday..
For the elementary students – it is a total ban; mean elementary students will have to put their phones away and on silent mode all day; middle and high school students have to stay off their phones in class, but can access them after class and at lunch. Teachers will have the authority to confiscate phones, but can also allow students to use phones for learning purposes.
Phones will be allowed for students who need access to them for medical reasons.
I’ll call this one – you call that one.
School boards have also been told to remove all access to social media websites from their networks, and report cards will include comments if students are distracted by their devices.
The new rules in Ontario’s 4,500 public schools, believed to be the most stringent in the country,
The province is also now requiring schools to inform parents if their kids vape or smoke on school property or at a school event, and to confiscate any products.
The changes came about because of overwhelming public support for a phone ban in schools during the day and as concerns continue to be raised about kids’ excessive phone use and its effects on their mental health.
Ontario research has shown that more than one-third of high school students spend five or more hours per day on electronic devices, and a handful of school boards have launched legal action against social media giants alleging kids’ academics and well-being have suffered.
Jill Dunlop,Minister of Education
Dunlop said moving from colleges and universities minister over to education is “a huge opportunity” and she’s already reached out to teacher union leaders and spoken with municipal officials.
With education contracts in place for the next three years, Dunlop won’t have to deal with labour strife, but will have to address ongoing concerns such as the shortage of educators and classroom conditions.
She will also oversee the introduction of new curriculum in several subject areas, including a mandatory new tech credit in high school.
Dunlop said she immediately reached out to union leaders because she “wanted to let them know that I’m here to collaborate with them. It really gives me that opportunity to work with union leaders, students, teachers, trustees and parents, to have that open door policy. We have this opportunity to work together right from the beginning.”
I am in support of no cell phones in school. It just makes sense.
One would think that parents would want their children to learn in an environment that leads to success.
Are we living in such a WOKE society that parents feel that they have to know where their children are 24/7 and not be able to tell their children that they will not be taking your cellphones to school, and follow through with consequences should they do so.
I have news for parents who think they can track where their children are 24 hours a day through their cellphones. Children especially teenagers are smart enough to leave their cellphone in their locker at school and leave. The parent thinks the child is in school – surprise, surprise, they might not be.
Parents need to parent and teachers need to teach.