Back to school for Ottawa students as new cellphone rules go into effect

Tuesday marked the unofficial end of summer and the first day of class for thousands of students in Ottawa.

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On top of the typical first day jitters, there is one topic of conversation flooding hallways of schools across the city - a new provincial crackdown on cellphone use in class.

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 must keep their phones on silent and out of sight all day, while students in grades 7 to 12 will have cellphones banned outright during class time.

It’s a move some Lisgar Collegiate Institute students say makes sense.

"You’re going to school, what’s the point of being on your phone if you’re here to learn?" said Patricia Sha, a Grade 10 student at Lisgar.

"The phone ban is whatever. I never really use my phone in class anyways, so it doesn't affect me too much," said Jack Thorpe, another student in Grade 10.

The province had already put some restrictions on the use of cellphones in class back in 2019, but the new rules are more clearly broken down by grade and include clearer instructions when it comes to punishments.

If a student is caught using a cellphone when they shouldn't be, the phone will be taken away.

If the student refuses to hand over their phone, they must be sent to the office and they could be suspended.

There remains some skepticism about the new approach. Teachers’ unions argue the policy isn't the most effective.

"I think it’s contrary to what we want in education, I think we’d rather build a culture of community and a sense of belonging and do some teaching and informing on why and when you should us your cellphone as opposed to sending students to the office and then sending them home on suspension," said Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) president Karen Littlewood.

"I do believe that students are addicted to their cellphones. They have grown up with screens in their hands. I think a lot of adults are equally addicted and so, perhaps instead of saying 'Tuesday, you’re going to quit cold turkey' maybe we do a little bit more teaching about this and try to explain to students why it’s an issue."

Meanwhile, Ontario’s newest education minister Jill Dunlop says she’s committed to supporting educators.

"I want teachers to know that we have their backs. We’re going to support them through this process," said Dunlop.

"I also expect that parents are having these conversations with their students at home that these are the rules that are in place, and there are disciplinary actions that will happen as a consequence of not following the rules."

Just one day into the school year and Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) director of education Pino Buffone says the start of the school year has been smooth sailing.

"It’s a credit to the central staff that have put in place the procedures to go along with this legislation," he said.

"We know there will be some hiccups along the way within our schools and central sites, but we've had a great start and we're taking this as a learning opportunity. This isn't a punitive measure."

Littlewood and other union representatives say the new cellphone rules come at a time when schools are underfunded and in need of more support.

"Human supports are at a reduced level and distractions are at an increased level and I think we have to find that balance and maybe the government makes some decisions to be funding education," she said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few days talking about cellphones and talking about vaping. I would rather talk about what’s needed in education and making sure that we have qualified teachers in the classroom because we have a shortage of teachers across the country."

New regulations on vaping in schools are also part of the new policies announced by the provincial government for this school year.

Students caught with vape or e-cigarette products on school property will be required to surrender them and parents will be notified immediately.

The government will also require that schools post signage in public spaces that outline "behavioural expectations" and a marketing campaign will be launched that’s directed at students and parents to increase awareness of the new policy.