Tories demand cellphone ban in Manitoba schools

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This article was published 08/08/2024 (643 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Tories renewed their call for a sweeping ban on cellphone use in all Manitoba classrooms ahead of the 2024-25 school year.

“Students deserve a learning environment free from distraction so that they can focus on their studies,” education critic Grant Jackson said in a news release Thursday.

Jackson noted phone restrictions will be in place for students in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan in the fall — a stark contrast to Manitoba’s “patchwork” approach.

The Saskatchewan government announced this week that personal devices will be barred from kindergarten-to-Grade 12 classrooms after Labour Day.

High school teachers in that province will be able to seek exemptions from administration if their students need cellphones during class time for lesson-related purposes.

Manitoba’s francophone teachers have been asked to confiscate devices if they are a distraction. Division scolaire franco-manitobaine elementary schoolers have not been allowed to use phones at any point during the week since this time last year. Teenagers can only use their devices over the lunch hour.

Starting next month, the Hanover School Division is following suit with the introduction of a phone ban across Steinbach-area elementary buildings.