People across British Columbia are getting ready for back to school, and one of the many issues facing students as they return to the classroom is the use of cell phones.
Belmont Secondary School in Langford is tightening up the rules on how and when students can use cell phones in school this coming school year.
A letter sent to parents says students will be asked to place their cell phones in a phone holder as they enter classrooms, or they can leave their phones in their backpacks or lockers.
Belmont principal Laura Fulton says the changes aren’t drastic to the existing rules.
“The guidelines are not a shift from what is already in practice in many classrooms at Belmont Secondary. The guidelines are simply a consistent and formalized approach to the use of cell phones during school hours,” said Fulton.
But this debate isn’t new. In 2017, some parents voiced outrage when Central Middle School banned phones from class.
University of Victoria psychology professor Bonnie Leadbeater, who’s taught for many years in a classroom setting, feels that devices at school are unnecessary.
“I was never happy with iPads or cell phones and anything that access the outside world,” Leadbeater told CHEK News. “I felt like what we were doing there was important and that we should be focusing on that.”
Studies on the Canadian Rehab Addiction website state that more than 50 per cent of teens admit to being addicted to their cell phones. Yet Leadbeater feels the impact of taking them away is minimal.
“I think that the majority of young people are very resilient and could just adjust to life without a cell phone at school pretty quickly,” added Leadbeater.
The Sooke School District says parents can still reach their kids during an emergency by calling the school’s front office, and students can use their phones outside of class time.
Tchadas Leo
