TDSB trustee wants cellular telephone policy

Cellular telephones are a part of everyday life, even in classrooms. But one Toronto District School Board trustee says there needs to be a policy for their presence in schools.

With cell phones that do much more than just send and receive calls, Josh Matlow wonders what the increasingly powerful multimedia devices might be used for by students.

"I have a phone like this. I can take pictures (and) video," Matlow said.

He speculates that mobile telephones with cameras could be used to take photos of examinations or even be used to connect to the Internet in an illicit search for test answers.

"If I was taking a test I could go on to Google and get the answers pretty quickly."

Cases have been documented where cheaters have used their cellular telephones. In Milwaukee some students were caught snapping pictures of exams and selling them to classmates.

In other cases classroom videos have been taken and posted on web sites, creating unflattering public impressions of teachers who were secretly caught on camera.

Cases such as these have prompted some school boards to implement classroom cell telephone bans. But the TDSB's policy is not as specific.

"I don't believe there is any policy at the board. Since the advent of the ball point pen and the calculator, I don't think we've had a very substantial discussion at the board about use of these kind of things in the classrooms," Matlow said.

Matlow wants trustees to create a board-wide policy on cellular telephones.

But a complete ban may meet with resistance from students and another important group. Parents often see cellular telephones as a lifeline for their children.

"I like the thought of them having one, yes, for safety purposes," one parent told CTV's Tom Hayes.

Many schools have individual policies about cellular telephones in the classroom, but Matlow wants a board-wide ban established.

He plans to raise the issue at the next board meeting, scheduled for the end of January.

With a report from CTV's Tom Hayes