Students in New Brunswick will have new limits on cellphones, screen time and social media when they head back to school in a few weeks. Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson made the announcement in Oromocto Friday morning. Phone rules Students from kindergarten to Grade 8 in the province will no longer be allowed to use their phones or other personal mobile devices during the school day. The same rules will take effect for students in Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 at the start of the second semester in February 2027. However, students in that group will be allowed to use their personal tablets and laptops for educational purposes. Screen time The province says screen time during class must be educational and tied to curriculum outcomes. Moving forward, screen time will be limited to 30 minutes or less at licensed child-care facilities. The screen time must also have: Children aged two and under won’t be allowed any screen time. Children attending licensed early learning and child-care centres won’t be allowed to use any personal mobile devices. Social media Social media sites will also be restricted on school networks and school devices beginning next month. Johnson says too much screen time and social media use negatively affects children and youth. “That’s why we’re taking action to reduce distractions, limit exposure to social media sites and support the well-being of students. By putting away phones and other personal mobile devices, students can focus on learning and building the foundational skills in literacy and numeracy,” she said. Johnson adds similar policies in Ontario and Quebec have been “praised” by students, teachers and parents. The upcoming changes in New Brunswick also incorporate recommendations of the province’s child and youth advocate. The CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association of New Brunswick welcomes the news. “Supporting children’s mental health requires more than reducing distractions,” said Christa Baldwin. “Young people need opportunities to disconnect, build relationships face to face, and fully engage in school and community life.” David Shipley studies how technology shapes human behaviour and is also the CEO of Fredericton-based Beauceron Security. He says there is a balance when it comes to using technology in the classroom. “Screen time limits in early learning protect brains at the age they’re most vulnerable. And blocking social media on school networks draws a simple line: products on trial for harming children don’t belong in our schools,” he said. Corine Munn, agrees and supports the new changes. “I think it’s a good idea, myself as a grandmother. I mean we didn’t have that in our generation, but it’s a distraction for sure,” she says. As for the students that will be affected by these school policies, the reviews are mixed. Eleanor Rolls is going into Grade 10 and uses her phone fairly often, though she says she doesn’t use it in class. “I’m not a huge fan,” she says of the announcement. “I mean sure, it’s a distraction sometimes, but I don’t think it should be such a huge deal.” Spencer Anderson is going into Grade 9 this fall and says it’s important to have access to cellphones in class. “I feel like you should be able to use them... So you can stay in touch with your parents and stuff,” he says. But Sam Hill-Stosky, going into Grade 6, says the technology can disrupt learning. “If you get a call inside of class it’s going to end up going off and disturbing the lesson. And some people are actually there to learn,” he says. Elora Hill-Stosky, also going into Grade 9, points to some of the darker distractions of being online with social media. “I mean, cyberbullying is a big thing in middle school and elementary because people are immature, it’s what they do,” she says. She says it can all be a major distraction in class. More information on the policies, including on exemptions and consequences, is available on the government’s website. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
