The Ford government announced it is imposing new limits and bans on cellphone use in schools vaping Tools to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve children’s health.
During an announcement Sunday morning, Ontario’s Education Minister stephen lacey Said the province is implementing a back-to-basics plan that will be implemented in the autumn and includes some of the strongest measures in the country related to banning cellphone use and banning vaping in schools.
“We have heard it loud and clear from parents and teachers cell phone In classrooms, kids are being distracted from learning,” Lacey said.
“Our government is introducing the strictest policy in Canada to tackle this issue by banning cellphone use during class time, as well as banning vaping in all schools. When it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight and out of mind’ as we get students back to basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense in Ontario schools.
As part of the new plan, children in kindergarten through Grade 6 will have to keep phones on silent and out of sight throughout the school day unless they get explicit permission from a teacher. Meanwhile, students of Class 7 and above will be banned from using cellphones during class time.
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The new policy will also require all publicly funded school boards to block access to all social media platforms on school networks and devices, a move the government says is the first of its kind in Canadian provinces.
The province said teachers will be required to undergo mandatory training as part of the changes. Report cards will now include comments on students’ level of distraction in class.
Lecce said cannabis, nicotine and tobacco products, as well as vaping devices in schools and school-related settings, would also be banned.
If caught vaping, students will be required to surrender their devices and parents will be immediately notified of the situation.
The government noted that $30 million in the 2024 budget will be used to install vape detectors in schools and make other security upgrades.
To support these initiatives, the government announced $17.5 million in funding to scale up mental health support to connect students and families with mental health, through new initiatives to support student mental health and parent engagement. There are wrap-around supports. This will include:
There will be more to come as this story develops.
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