Nova Scotia is “limiting” the use of cellphones and other mobile devices in public schools once the new school year starts in September.
The new directive was announced Thursday by Education Minister Becky Druhan — and is aimed at helping students “stay focused and support teachers.”
Elementary school students will have to store their phones during the entire school day.
Older students, however, may have the option to use cellphones during lunch and other breaks depending on “individual school rules.”
“We heard their concerns and, through this new directive, are ensuring students are concentrating on learning and building stronger interpersonal relationships without the distraction of cellphones,” said Druhan in a statement.
The province notes that processes will be in place so that parents and students can reach each other, including in cases of emergency.
The decision was made after consultation with school advisory councils, ministerial advisory councils, the teachers’ union, and IWK public health experts.
Currently, individual schools have their own policies on technology use. This new directive will be provincewide and affect all students.
Nova Scotia is joining three other provinces in restricting cellphone use in schools.
Ontario introduced cellphone restrictions in 2019, making it the first province in Canada to take action against personal device usage in a classroom setting.
Quebec followed in 2023, and British Columbia announced similar rules in January of this year.
New Brunswick is also rolling out restrictions this September — requiring students to put their cellphones in silent mode in a designated area of the classroom. The policy says cellphones can be used at the discretion of the teacher for educational activities, or for medical reasons.
Experts have been taking a closer look at cellphone and social media use in schools in recent years.
Simon Sherry, a clinical psychologist and professor at Dalhousie University, has been calling for a ban on phones in schools across Atlantic Canada.
“Excessive screen time, cellphone use, social media use, links up to anxiety, depression, bullying. On the physical side of things, are links to inactivity, obesity, and diabetes,” he told Global News Morning last month.
“In the classroom in particular, these devices are associated with problems of distractibility. You want to bring your best attention, concentration and memory to the task of learning and it’s hard to do that when you’re exchanging Snapchats with your buddy at the back of the room.”
Globally, UNESCO has also been pushing for classrooms around the world to ban smartphone use, arguing the devices distract from learning and affect students’ mental health.
— with files from The Canadian Press