One school district on Vancouver Island is working with students to find the best way to deal with cell phones in classrooms.
Last month the province declared all schools must have policies by September to restrict student cell phone use in classrooms. In Campbell River, School District 72 is working with student-led advisory councils to develop a district-wide policy.
Superintendent Geoff Manning says at this week’s school board meeting that a blanket ban won’t work, and would hinder education.
“There are certainly times in our school district where we would use cell phones and technology to advance educational purposes,” he says.
Manning says discussions with students reveals they approve of reasonable limits and guidelines, and understand the need for restrictions.
“This is more speaking to the distracting nature of cell phones, the addictive nature of cell phones, and how some students are actually unable to focus in school or be in school without their cell phone right next to them,” he says.
Manning says some individual schools already have cell phone policies; the district will now develop one which works for the entire local school system.
