What will provincial cellphone restriction mandate look like for SD57?

Given that each school, and perhaps each classroom, could interpret the mandates a little bit differently, there is no one single answer to what cellphone restrictions will look like. However, Brennan notes that cellphone restrictions have already existed in schools so at the very least it should feel similar to last year.

“All of us are going to be looking at this and adjusting how we’re doing this new reality. And we’re going to be learning for each other, and I think the secret is in good communication between the students and the parents and our schools to make sure that this mandate is enforced properly and that people understand why it’s happened,” said Brennan.

On the topic of understanding, Brennan says this is a key focus for SD57 in the early months of this new mandate. While the cellphone restrictions kick in immediately, Brennan explains the early months will be heavily focused on educating both students and parents on what these restrictions will look like before moving into more strict implementation.

“As the school year progresses, then you’re going to be getting more into complying with the mandate. So it’s going to be a gradual process of building understanding, not just with our students, but also with the parents to for them to understand what this mandate really means for them,” Brennan said.

So how do parents feel about this mandate? The chairperson of the SD57 District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) Laura Weller says the parent feedback has been primarily positive and in support of cellphone restrictions, although like with any policy change, there are some parents that raised concerns. For example, how could a parent reach their child in an emergency situation or in a situation that requires immediate attention?

“We know that school bussing hasn’t been as consistent as we would like to see it, which does create some safety issues when children are getting to and from school. So ensuring that either that is running extremely well so that parents can trust the system, or to make sure that those safety concerns are understood on an individual basis when they need to be,” Weller said, when explaining one concern some parents raised.

“For the most part, learning happens in the classroom the old fashioned way. We know that social media does have its downsides as well as positive connections, so we want to make sure that students are safe, that they’re learning social skills and paying attention to teachers and respecting these institutions for what they’re supposed to do,” Weller added, when discussing some parent feedback on supporting the restrictions.

Both Weller and Brennan say they’re happy this is a cellphone restriction, as opposed to a ban, as they both believe in the positive applications of cellphones in technology in learning, and it’s all about how these tools are implemented.

“You can really create some fun engagement with students that teachers have used over the last few years that shouldn’t be restricted completely. So I think that we’ve reached a good balance for having learning outcomes more standardized when devices are permitted,” Weller said.

“Does the high school class need that device to further the educational goals? And if that’s the case, then they’ll be looking at a case by case basis,” Brennan said.

Given that cellphone restrictions have already become an expected part of a student’s day in school, these mandates may not cause too much disruption, although a learning curve in implementation is certainly expected.

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by Tommy Osborne

What will provincial cellphone restriction mandate look like for SD57?

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