Manitoba PCs Call for Provincial Policy on Classroom Cellphone Bans
WINNIPEG — With the start of the new school year just weeks away, Manitoba families need a consistent, province-wide approach on cellphone bans in the classroom, PC Education Critic Grant Jackson said today.
“Technology can be useful in the classroom, but it’s become clear from parents and teachers that cellphones have become a major problem,” said Jackson. “Teachers deserve support, parents deserve consistency in their children’s education, and students deserve a learning environment free from distraction so that they can focus on their studies.”
Over the last several months, Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have all implemented cellphone bans or restrictions to eliminate distractions from the classroom. In Manitoba, the Hanover School Division and Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine have implemented bans in the past year; however, there remains a patchwork of policies across the province, which may lead to conflicting approaches to the issue, Jackson noted.
“Manitoba is now the only prairie province without a unified policy on classroom cellphone use,” said Jackson. “Rather than showing some leadership and taking a stand, the NDP have currently abandoned teachers, leaving them on their own to police the use of electronics in the classroom.”
“The NDP need to work with parents, teachers, and students to ensure that in-class instruction is free from unnecessary disruptions come September, while making sure that students who require phones for medical or specific learning needs have access to them.”
Progressive Conservatives commend DSFM and the Hanover School Division for taking the initiative in supporting educators and students.
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