Calgary school boards implement new cellphone, social media rules for students

Calgary's public and Catholic school boards have revealed new rules banning the use of cellphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches in classes, aligning with a ministerial order from the province to prevent distractions from learning.

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) unveiled its approach to regulating personal mobile devices on Tuesday. Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) chief superintendent Bryan Szumlas informed parents of its new rules in an email on Friday.

The rules cover use of personal mobile devices as well as devices capable of communicating with them like headphones or Bluetooth speakers.

"Positive results have already been seen within schools that have implemented similar measures in recent years. Our goal is to improve student achievement and well-being with a focused and supportive learning environment," said a CBE statement about the new regulations.   

Students in kindergarten to Grade 6 in both school districts will not be allowed to use any personal mobile device while at school, with exceptions made in certain circumstances for health or medical reasons, or specialized learning needs.

High school students from grades 10 to 12 in both school districts will be allowed to use their personal devices at school outside of class time. One key difference in the Calgary school boards' regulations is in grades 7-9, where CCSD will allow students to use personal devices at school outside of class time, while the CBE will ban their use, in line with its rules for kindergarten to Grade 6.

"We believe that these measures will help minimize distractions and promote a more focused, healthy and effective learning environment for all CCSD students," the district said. 

"To increase student awareness and understanding about the new ministerial order, posters will be provided to all CCSD school classrooms, as well as ongoing education on the topic."

Parents of CBE students have been asked by the school board not to contact their children through their cellphones during the school day, instead directing parents to contact the student's school office instead.

The CBE said it will work with students who break the new rules, to ensure the regulations are understood. CCSD students who break the rules will be met with "a progressive discipline approach," which the school board said is more focused on educating students about responsible mobile device usage.

The new rules come after the provincial government announced a cellphone ban in June for kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms, beginning this fall. The province surveyed more than 68,000 parents, teachers, students and principals about cellphone use in schools, finding that about 90 per cent said they were concerned and that use should be limited.

Alberta Teachers' Association Local 38 president Stephani Clements said teachers are generally happy that clear policies have been implemented, noting that elementary and middle school teachers especially are excited and hopeful that parents will be supportive of the new rules.

"This provincial directive adds weight to the belief that phones, and other personal mobile devices, are more of a distraction than an educational tool and do not need to be in classrooms," Clements told CBC Calgary via email.

Clements added that while implementing and enforcing these rules adds more to an already full plate for education staff, it should be easier to manage once students realize the rules are here to stay.

She also noted some high school teachers are a little more anxious about the regulations because of the dependence some students have on their phones. Taking away access to mobile devices without proper supports in place for those students could lead to negative repercussions, she said.

The new policy is effective for CBE students as of its first day of the new school year, which is Thursday, Aug. 29.

The policy will be reviewed in December, and any feedback from schools will be considered before the school board's administrative regulation on the issue is finalized as of Jan. 1, 2025.