Maritimers debate on banning cell phones in classrooms

First at Five: Making the Call New research finds that a large majority of Canadians think cell phones should be banned from the classroom.

New research finds that a large majority of Canadians think cell phones should be banned from the classroom.

"I think they're a very big distraction,” said one student outside Sherwood Park Middle School in Sydney, N.S., on Wednesday.

Parents and guardians outside the school who also weighed in seemed to feel similarly.

"(A ban on cell phones is) a good idea. Maybe the kids will pay attention to the teacher,” said one couple picking up a student. "They should be banned from the classroom so that kids can do their work."

The renewed conversation was spared by a survey, conducted by Narrative Research, which found that roughly 80 per cent of people polled nationwide would support a ban on cell phones in classrooms.

The company said the poll was prompted in part by recent decisions by Ontario and Quebec to do away with mobile devices during class time.

"It's not super usual for us to see such widespread results. Usually we see more mixed opinions,” said Margaret Chapman, COO and partner with Narrative Research.

The survey found those who support a ban felt it would remove a distraction and encourage students to focus, reduce cyberbullying and cheating, improve teacher-student engagement and promote face-to-face communication.

"And if you look at evidence across the world where these bans have been put in place, the results seem to support that,” Chapman said.

The head of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union said if you were to put the topic to teachers, it might be met with mixed reviews.

"I know myself as a teacher, cell phones at times were a major distraction for my students,” said NSTU president Ryan Lutes.

Lutes said that while some would agree that phones distract, others would argue they can be a valuable teaching tool.

As for as any government decisions in the Maritime provinces, Lutes said teachers should have a say.

"Consult with grassroots teachers, to ensure that they're making good educational decisions and not just political decisions,” Lutes said.

The results od the survey also show that 15 per cent of those polled said they would oppose a ban.

They argued that keeping phones in class would promote personal responsibility and discipline, provide educational benefits and allow for parental communication during emergencies.

"So I think any kind of public policy on this really needs to balance those,” Lutes said.

Chapman added that while the overall percentage of those who oppose the ban is 15 per cent, that number jumps all the way to 50 per cent among those polled in the 18-34 age cohort.

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