Ontario schools introduce toughest cell phone restrictions in Canada
Summary
TLDRThe Ontario government's new guidelines limit cell phone use in schools, banning smartphones for K-6 students except in emergencies and restricting their use in classrooms for grades 7-12. Vaping is completely banned, and enforcement questions arise, especially at the high school level. The focus is also on educating students about the impacts of vaping, with a report card distraction level to be introduced.
Takeaways
- 📱 The Ontario government has limited cell phone use in schools and banned vaping starting September, with stricter enforcement than in 2019.
- 🚫 For kindergarten to grade six, smartphones are only allowed in emergencies; for grades 7 to 12, smartphones are not allowed in class but may be used in hallways.
- 👩🏫 Teachers may instruct students to use smartphones for educational purposes, such as using them as calculators or for research when computers are not available.
- 🤔 There are concerns about the enforceability of these rules, especially at the high school level, due to the large class sizes and existing distractions.
- 👨🏫 The script suggests that reducing class sizes could help teachers manage students more effectively and improve focus in the classroom.
- 📚 There is a debate about the optimal length of teaching segments, with the suggestion that shorter periods might be more suitable for children's attention spans.
- 🚭 Vaping is completely banned in schools, and there is a call for education on the health impacts of vaping to protect children who may not understand the risks.
- 📊 A new measure includes a 'distraction level' on report cards, which is an attempt to address the issue of smartphones being a distraction in school.
- 🧠 The script highlights the significant impact that phones have on children's brains, emphasizing the need for guidance and education in the early years of life.
- 👶 The enforcement of the ban on vaping is crucial for the health of children, as it is becoming increasingly popular among young people due to appealing flavors.
- 📢 The topic of limiting cell phone use and banning vaping in schools is a major discussion point, and the script encourages feedback from the audience.
Q & A
What is the big news from the Ontario government regarding schools?
-The Ontario government is limiting cell phone use in schools and banning vaping starting this September.
Was there a previous policy on cell phone use in schools that was not well enforced?
-Yes, there was a policy in effect since 2019, but it was not strictly enforced.
What are the new guidelines for cell phone use from kindergarten to grade six?
-Under the new guidelines, smartphones should not be visible unless there is an emergency.
How does the policy change for students from grade 7 to 12?
-Students from grade 7 to 12 are not allowed to use smartphones in classes, but they can use them in hallways.
Are there any exceptions to the cell phone ban for educational purposes?
-Yes, students are allowed to use cell phones if the teacher instructs them to, for educational purposes such as using them as calculators or for research.
What is the main challenge in enforcing the new cell phone policy?
-The main challenge is managing the large class sizes and ensuring that students are focused, which can be difficult for teachers.
What is the impact of cell phone use on students' focus and learning?
-The use of cell phones can distract students and affect their ability to focus, which is crucial for effective learning.
What is the significance of the vaping ban in schools?
-The vaping ban is significant for the health of children as they may not be aware of the harmful effects of vaping.
How will the impact of vaping be addressed in schools?
-Education on the impacts of vaping will be provided to students to help them understand the risks.
What is the new addition to report cards regarding cell phone use?
-A distraction level report will be added to report cards to monitor and communicate students' use of cell phones during school hours.
What is the general sentiment towards the new policies on cell phone use and vaping in schools?
-The general sentiment is positive, with many people supporting the measures to protect students' health and focus.
Outlines
📵 Ontario's Stricter Cell Phone and Vaping Policies in Schools
The Ontario government has announced stricter regulations on cell phone usage and a complete ban on vaping in schools starting September. While the cell phone policy was already in place in 2019, it was not strictly enforced. The new guidelines prohibit smartphone usage from kindergarten to grade six, except in emergencies. For grades 7 to 12, smartphones are not allowed in classrooms but may be used in hallways if instructed by a teacher for educational purposes, such as using a phone as a calculator or for internet searches. The enforcement of these policies raises questions, especially at the high school level, where large class sizes and students' lack of focus pose challenges for teachers. The script also mentions the introduction of a 'distraction level' on report cards to monitor students' attention in class. The vaping ban is seen as a necessary measure for the health of children, who may not fully understand the impacts of vaping. The script emphasizes the importance of education on the subject to ensure children are aware of the risks involved.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ontario government
💡Cell phone use
💡Vaping
💡Enforcement
💡Educational purposes
💡Class size
💡Focus
💡Health
💡Report cards
💡Distraction
💡Feedback
Highlights
Ontario government is limiting cell phone use in schools and banning vaping this September.
This policy was already in effect as of 2019 but wasn't that enforced.
New guidelines restrict smartphone use from kindergarten to grade six unless it's an emergency.
For grades 7 to 12, smartphones cannot be used in classes but can be used in hallways.
Teachers may instruct students to use cell phones for educational purposes, such as using them as calculators or for research.
Enforcement of these rules is a challenge, especially at the high school level.
Teachers are finding it difficult to manage large class sizes and maintain student focus.
There is a suggestion that reducing class size could help manage students better.
The way we teach might need to be adjusted, such as shorter segments of time for subjects.
Vaping is being banned completely for the health of children.
Education on the impacts of vaping is crucial for children who may not understand its effects.
Vaping is popular among kids and young kids due to kid-friendly flavors.
A distraction level report card will be introduced to monitor and report student distraction.
The Ontario education system aims to guide and educate children through these early years of life.
There is a need for protection as children's brains are still developing.
Adults are expected to have more control over their phone use, unlike children.
Feedback on this topic is encouraged and can be sent to breakfast television.com.
Transcripts
pardon me uh Steven leche education
Minister will be on this couch coming up
in uh about 35 minutes to talk about the
big news from yesterday the Ontario
government is limiting cell phone use in
schools and banning vaping this
September this was already in effect as
of 2019 but it wasn't that enforced uh
from kindergarten to grade six under the
new guidelines they don't want to see a
smartphone out unless it's an emergency
of some kind from grade 7 to 12 in the
the classes themselves you cannot pull
out the smartphone in the hallways in
that different story vaping banned
completely Frank can they enforce this
is the question a lot of people are
asking today in the high school level as
well they're allowed to use the cell
phone still if the teacher instructs for
that so sometimes if it's specifically
for educational purposes sometimes the
cell phone's used as a calculator
sometimes even if they don't have enough
computers they're actually needing them
to look something up on Google uh to
enforce it my sister's a teacher uh
class size is so big right right now uh
students themselves right now uh in
terms of focus regardless of a phone
they're not focused um it's really going
to be hard on teachers teachers right
now are having a difficult time I feel
you know reduction of class size would
really help manage a lot of the students
that are there the way we teach you know
maybe we shouldn't Teach an hour for
history maybe it needs to be a smaller
segment of time because kids now are a
little bit you know like even for
ourselves I always I had a conversation
with my son's teacher and she said about
uh focus and I said okay well when's the
last time you watched an a television
show for an hour and didn't look at your
phone and she said to me it's been a
long time so a lot of things are in
place vaping I'm so happy about that and
the enforcement of vaping has to happen
for the health of children because kids
don't know the impact of vaping that
goes to education educating the kids on
the impacts of vaping as well yeah it's
so true I mean vaping I had I had no
idea until I really you know have kids
in these schools uh that vaping was such
a thing I mean you you might have
relationship with it with people who are
you know quitting smoking and going into
it but now it very very popular with
kids and young kids and because of all
of these flavors and stuff that they
have that are very kidfriendly uh so I
think that that ban 100% the cell phone
what's interesting here is they have a
distraction level on report cards now
that are going to start going out too
which I think um is incredibly kind of
there in in some ways yeah effort but
not not to that specific uh you know
sort of grading system so I mean I
commend them for trying to figure this
out sure because what uh phones have
been proven to do to kids' brains in
terms of everything that you're talking
about it's significant and our education
system is there to guide children and
educate them through these early years
of life and to set them up for success
and there was something about sure we as
adults have our phones but hopefully our
brains I mean most of us are fully
formed when you're dealing with kids
this way they're not and so we need to
have some sort of protection absolutely
look again this is this is the thing
everyone's other than Saturday night
this is the thing everyone's talking
about today uh keep the feedback coming
up feedback at breakfast
television.com in your way here on this
Monday edition of Breakfast Television
time to smile it
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