New cellphone rules not much different than what's already in place at local schools

The Sault and area's two English language school boards will be making sure their policies on cell phone use in schools and anti-vaping measures are up to date and in line with new Ontario rules.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced last week that starting this September, students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 will now be required to keep their phones on silent and out of sight for the duration of the school day. Students in Grades 7 to 12 will see their cell phone use banned during class time. They can carry their phones but they will only be permitted to use them during instructional time if allowed by their teacher.

"If they do not comply, they will be asked to surrender their phones or they could be sent to the office," Lecce said. "There are progressive discipline policies listed in this. It can include up to suspension if there is repeat violations."

INSIDE THE VILLAGE: What you really need to know about school cellphone 'ban'

Lecce said the government is also removing social media websites from all school networks and devices to help strengthen students' in-person relationships, communication and social-emotional skills.

"We have also announced a strict anti-vaping policy in schools where parents are immediately informed, and the vapes in a student’s possession will be given up and disposed of," Lecce wrote in a letter to parents. "There are immediate consequences for students caught in possession of illegal substances, and Public Health Units can also be engaged to support education, prevention and enforcement, when necessary. We are also providing funding to schools to install vape detectors so they can better enforce these new rules."

Both the Algoma District School Board and Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board — like school boards across Ontario — have existing policies in place regarding cell phone use and vaping, but told SooToday they will be looking at the new regulations and updating their existing policies if necessary.

“The Algoma District School Board currently has both a policy and guidelines in place that allow teachers to limit the use of personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, during instructional time," wrote Lucia Reece, ADSB director of education, in an mail to SooToday. "In addition, we currently have a policy in place that prohibits vaping and the use of vaping products in schools, Board facilities and on Board property. We are in the process of reviewing the new changes to the Provincial Code of Conduct and cross-referencing with our existing policies to determine if any updates to our Board Code of Conduct are required. We are also exploring what, if any, further communications might be needed to support parents and guardians in understanding and reinforcing the expectations and potential consequences with their children."

Currently, the H-SCDSB enforces a Personal Electronic Device (PED) Procedural Guideline. The guideline states that elementary students, from Grade JK to Grade 8, are not allowed to use PEDs for telephone calls or texting/messaging. In emergencies, elementary students are required to use the telephone system in a school's main office to call home.

Students in Grades 9 to 12 are allowed to use PEDs for telephone calls or texting/messaging in designated areas of schools. Principals determine the location of those designated areas after consultation with their school superintendent.

"The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board currently has a policy in place which outlines the acceptable use of Personal Electronic Devices," wrote Danny Viotto, board's director of education, in an email to SooToday. "Each school monitors the use of cell phones independently and ensures that they are in compliance with the board’s policy. We do not anticipate any major changes to our practices in schools with the new updates by the Ministry of Education. In saying that, we will re-visit our current practices in our schools to ensure consistency."

Union representatives are skeptical of Lecce's announcement.

"The recent announcement will have very little impact on the students in Huron-Superior," said Darrell Czop, the Huron-Superior Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) president. "Much of what was announced is already in place here in our Catholic Schools."

Union representatives say more emphasis needs to be placed on the hiring of more educational assistants and child and youth workers to address classroom violence. 

"Unfortunately, the new measures being introduced by the Ford government do not address the root causes of student behaviours as incidences of violence in classrooms continues to grow," Czop wrote, in an email to SooToday. "We are seeing disengagement and increased levels of violence in our schools. We need more teachers to ensure adequate coverage of classes, more professionals to provide mental health supports, more EAs and CYWs to support students and teachers. These are the things we really need, not more pronouncements that are popular but don’t really address any of the real issues in our schools."

Jason Young agrees. He is president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) District 2 Algoma Teachers’ Bargaining Unit.

“I would simply characterize this as another attempt to draw attention away from a chronic shortchanging of education," he said in a telephone interview. "We need more human beings in classrooms, human supports for students at a time when it’s really needed."

A recent SooToday poll showed that a huge majority of people — 80 per cent — support a blanket ban on cellphone use in schools. 

"I have heard from many of you, teachers and students alike, about concerns about the alarming rise of youth vaping in schools and the persistent use of cellphones as a distraction from learning in class," Lecce wrote in a letter to parents. "That is why we are rolling out Canada’s most comprehensive plan to counter these threats."