Ford government's ban on cellphones in classrooms starts this fall

The Ford government had said it was planning to restrict the use of cellphones in classrooms this year, and now the Minister of Education has confirmed the ban will take place in November.

According to the provincial government, cellphones and other personal mobile devices will be banned in classrooms beginning November 4, 2019.

The restriction applies to “instructional time at school, however, exceptions will be made if cellphones are required for health and medical purposes, to support special education needs, or for educational purposes as directed by an educator.”

Ford’s government said that during the consultation on education reform that took place last fall, 97% of parents, students, and teachers who participated said that cellphone use should be restricted in some way.

See also:

• Ford government planning to ban cellphones from Ontario classrooms
• A Toronto middle school has banned the use of cellphones

“When in class, students should be focused on their studies, not their social media,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “That’s why we are restricting cellphones and other personal mobile devices in the classroom, while making sure technology is available to help students achieve success in the digital economy and modern workforce.”

Banning cellphones from classrooms is not a new idea, and schools in Toronto have implemented the policy over the past few years.

In 2017, Earl Grey Senior Public School, which is located near Greenwood and Coxwell in Toronto’s east end, banned cellphones in its classrooms.