Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides called cellphone usage in schools “a helpful instructional tool, but I also understand there are significant risks and concerns with inappropriate cellphone usage.”“I plan to talk more with teachers, parents, students and staff about cellphone usage in our schools and use their advice to help inform any potential next steps,” said Nicolaides in a Monday statement. Nicolaides did not elaborate on if or when Albertans could expect a ban to come into place. The Quebec government said on December 26 its new rule banning cellphones in classrooms will be in effect when students return from the holiday break. The directive, which aimed to reduce distractions in class, entered into force on December 31 and applied to public elementary and secondary schools, but it offered teachers flexibility to let students use cellphones for particular pedagogical purposes.Many Quebec schools had rules limiting cellphones in classes before Education Minister Bernard Drainville introduced the ban. However, some child advocates said it is in children’s best interests to make restrictions as tough as possible.The British Columbia government confirmed on Friday it would be moving forward on restricting cellphone use in schools, launching services to remove intimate images from the internet and holding social media platforms accountable to keep children and young people safe. READ MORE: BC government to ban cellphones in schools, combat intimate image sharing“Today, kids live with different challenges than they did a generation ago, and they face them all in the palm of their hand,” said BC Premier David Eby. “While cellphones, the internet and social media help us connect with each other, they also present risks that can harm kids.”
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides called cellphone usage in schools “a helpful instructional tool, but I also understand there are significant risks and concerns with inappropriate cellphone usage.”“I plan to talk more with teachers, parents, students and staff about cellphone usage in our schools and use their advice to help inform any potential next steps,” said Nicolaides in a Monday statement. Nicolaides did not elaborate on if or when Albertans could expect a ban to come into place. The Quebec government said on December 26 its new rule banning cellphones in classrooms will be in effect when students return from the holiday break. The directive, which aimed to reduce distractions in class, entered into force on December 31 and applied to public elementary and secondary schools, but it offered teachers flexibility to let students use cellphones for particular pedagogical purposes.Many Quebec schools had rules limiting cellphones in classes before Education Minister Bernard Drainville introduced the ban. However, some child advocates said it is in children’s best interests to make restrictions as tough as possible.The British Columbia government confirmed on Friday it would be moving forward on restricting cellphone use in schools, launching services to remove intimate images from the internet and holding social media platforms accountable to keep children and young people safe. READ MORE: BC government to ban cellphones in schools, combat intimate image sharing“Today, kids live with different challenges than they did a generation ago, and they face them all in the palm of their hand,” said BC Premier David Eby. “While cellphones, the internet and social media help us connect with each other, they also present risks that can harm kids.”
