Banning cellphones in classrooms: not as clearcut as you may think

“It’s not a black and white matter. I’m an educator and I believe in the power of educating. Part of the job of teachers is not just to teach the ABCs and how to read and how to do math. It’s how to think, it’s how to operate in society, it’s how to regulate your emotions. It’s how to conduct yourself. To have a blanket ban on a form of technology that has spread out in the world, to be banned at school could set up young people for not being properly equipped to be technologically literate,” said Daryl Beauregard, Prince George Teacher’s Association President.

With phones being a key part of many peoples’ daily lives, Beauregard says a ban could actually have negative effects, such as:

Not preparing students for the potential dangers of a phone. Rather than educate how to use a phone, a ban would simply ignore that issue.
Giving teachers another thing to worry about when they’re already trying to manage a classroom.
Potential hypocrisy, as a teacher may need their phone but if students aren’t allowed it could create dissatisfaction among students.

That’s not to say Beauregard is entirely pro phone, as he does understand the distractions that come with social media, games, and many other things that come with it. However, he believes it could also be used in a productive way, the same way adults use phones to help in their jobs.

“When I was a teacher in the classroom, I’d be like ‘We have this coming up, get your phone, put it in a calendar or make a reminder.’ I can write something on the board (and say) ‘you don’t need to write that, just snap a photo.’ Those are good uses of technology that we use as adults as well,” Beauregard said.

A driving factor behind BC United’s goal to ban cell phones is our province’s 2023 Program for International Student Assessment Rankings, as we saw a dip. B.C. finished behind Alberta in all categories and also finished behind the national average in math. Can this drop be linked to cell phones though? While the possibility can’t be ruled out, it’s difficult to scapegoat phones entirely.

“Whether they’re being used for educational purposes or for social media purposes, unless you look at the actual metrics of the student’s phone, you wouldn’t really know what they’re doing with it. So it’s really hard to say if (a ban) would affect their learning or not. If they’re on TikTok all day that’s going to have an effect. But they could be using it as a really powerful educational tool. They are very powerful tools, but even with adults you need to use them properly,” said Craig Brennan, Chair of the SD57 Board of Education.

Ultimately, both Brennan and Beauregard believe a topic like this can’t be handled by a blanket ban. There are many sides and factors to consider, and given that phones are already so prevalent in day to day life it’s more important than ever to teach students how to use technology smartly and safely. Prior to any decision being made Brennan hopes there is plenty of discussion with schools and families, as a potential ban could have large implications.

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by Tommy Osborne

Banning cellphones in classrooms: not as clearcut as you may think

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