Cell phones are now officially banned in class in Quebec schools. However, the ministerial directive did not change much since rules were already in place in most establishments, indicate stakeholders in the school network.
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, announced at the start of the school year that cell phones will be banned in class starting December 31 in order to reduce distractions during classes.
The directive, which targets public primary and secondary schools, however allows teachers who wish to authorize the use of cell phones for educational reasons.
Quebec is the second Canadian province to ban the use of cell phones in class, after Ontario.
Rules already in place
School principals affirm that the ministerial directive did not change much on a daily basis, since rules were already in place “in the vast majority of schools”.
“It was already quite well marked in circles. Those who had to make changes did so this fall,” indicates Carl Ouellet, president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel.
Same story from Sylvain Bérubé, who teaches French in a high school in Quebec. The directive “only formalizes what already existed in the rules of life” of most establishments, he asserts.
Minister Drainville has only “reinvented a wheel that has existed for years,” adds the teacher who only sees it as a cosmetic announcement “to make a good impression.”
Delays due to strike?
In certain schools which, however, had to make adjustments to comply with the ministerial directive, it is possible that the strike delayed the adoption of new rules, indicates Kathleen Legault, president of the Montreal Association of School Directors. educational establishment.
School codes of conduct must be approved by the governing boards, but their meetings were suspended during the five-week strike by the Autonomous Education Federation, specifies M.me Legault.
Cell phone management does not appear to be a priority during this return to class, adds Mme Legault.
“The priority will be our students, we will have to ensure that they are doing well and assess where they are in their learning,” she said.
Cell phone ban in class
- The ministerial directive came into force on December 31, 2023.
- Personal electronic devices are now prohibited in public elementary and secondary school classrooms.
- Teachers may, however, allow their use for educational purposes, if they deem it relevant.
- Each school is responsible for determining what the sanctions are if the rules are not followed.