Alberta joins other provinces in restricting cellphone use in classrooms

Alberta is joining a growing list of provinces that will restrict cellphone use in the classroom amid worries that the devices disrupt learning and harm the well-being of students.

The province’s announcement on Monday came on the heels of the U.S. surgeon-general calling on Congress to issue warning labels on social-media platforms, arguing that the products have emerged as an “important contributor” of the mental-health crisis among young people.

Alberta’s Education Minister, Demetrios Nicolaides, said at a news conference on Monday that his government has heard from educators and parents that cellphones not only limit students from achieving academically, but in some instances, it has had detrimental effects on the mental health of young people.

“The risks to student mental well-being and academic success are real. And we must take steps now to combat these effects,” Mr. Nicolaides said.

Starting this fall, students in the province will be required to turn their cellphones off and keep them out of sight during instructional time. The government said that exceptions will be made for students needing the device for medical reasons.

Mr. Nicolaides also said that school boards will restrict access to social media on their networks.

The increased use of cellphones and social media by students has been a source of concern for policy makers, educators and parents. The devices and platforms have been blamed for incidents of cyberbullying, disrupted sleep patterns and the inability of young people to focus.

In a Monday opinion article in The New York Times, U.S. surgeon-general Vivek Murthy said a warning label on social-media platforms, similar to those on tobacco products, would be among the steps needed to protect young people. It would increase awareness among parents and children, and perhaps change behaviour, he said.

“We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake,” Dr. Murthy wrote.

In Canada, several provinces have recently moved to restrict cellphone use in the classroom.

Earlier this month, Nova Scotia announced rules that take effect this fall and require all elementary students to turn off their cellphones and store them out of sight during the school day. Junior and senior high students will be required to have their devices off during class time, unless their teacher is incorporating their use as part of classroom instruction.

The Ontario government has also said that it would crack down on cellphone use in schools. Under new rules coming this fall, students in Grade 6 and below must put their cellphones away, powered off or set to silent mode throughout the school day, unless they receive permission from the teacher. Students in Grades 7 to 12 will be able to access their phones only between classes or during lunch, unless directed by the teacher.

Students who don’t comply would be sent to the principal’s office, and they could be suspended, the province said.

Last year, Quebec directed its school boards to restrict phone use in classes by Dec. 31, though it left penalties up to local school districts. British Columbia said in January that it would work with school boards to design restrictions in time for this fall.

Meanwhile, several Ontario school boards and two private schools in that province are suing the companies behind social-media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, accusing them of designing unsafe and addictive products that harm the mental health of students and disrupt learning.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. Similar lawsuits against social-media companies have been filed in the United States in recent months by individual states and school districts.

In Alberta, Mr. Nicolaides said that more than 68,000 people, mostly parents and educators, responded in March and April to a survey around cellphone use in schools. About 90 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about cellphone use in school, and almost as many believed the devices were negatively affecting academic achievement.

Michael Boyes, a developmental psychologist at the University of Calgary, said the devices affect students’ ability to focus, which in turn harms their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

“This strategy of moving to limit access to smartphones in our schools is an important step toward helping our students focus their attention on the learning and the development they need to do in order to flourish in the world,” he said at Monday’s news conference.