Changes could be coming to cellphone use in Manitoba classrooms

Saskatchewan is the latest province to ban cellphones in classrooms.

The ban, announced Tuesday, affects students from Kindergarten through Grade 12.

Come September. Manitoba will be the only Prairie province without sweeping measures in place; however, it could happen before school starts for some students.

“It can get really distracting even for other kids, because I’ve seen people just playing TikToks at full volume in class while I’m trying to work, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’” said Grade 12 student Sophie Mazur.

Saskatchewan recently announced cellphones won't be allowed the classroom starting this September, joining the likes of Alberta and Ontario.

“As a parent, definitely that's a good thing,” said Edward Brian Sybeng.

“I would rather have the kids have their phones at home and not in the classroom because it could be an avenue for cheating and sometimes social media can be very distracting in the classroom.”

Here in Manitoba, only the Hanover School Division has implemented division-wide measures, though some schools do have classroom bans in place.

"We absolutely should. Classrooms are for learning. Classrooms are not for electronics unless it's a research project or whatever,” said substitute teacher Terri Marr.

However, other divisions could soon follow in their footsteps.

A provincial spokesperson says the government is currently working with education stakeholders to ensure use of technology guidelines are updated to be responsive to current technology-use patterns.

“I feel like a hard ban would be really difficult to impose,” Mazur said.

“First of all, because either you're going to be patting the kids down before they enter the school to get them away, or they're just going to sneak them in.”

Seven Oaks superintendent Tony Kreml says his division is reviewing its Responsible Use of Technology Policy, including the role of cellphones in the classroom.

He says an updated policy is scheduled for this fall.

Meantime, under Saskatchewan’s guidelines, teachers will be able to allow phones in class for instructional or research purposes, and students who require phones for medical or specific learning needs will be allowed to have them.