Manitoba cellphone ban in schools gets good grade from divisions one year later

CTV’s Jeff Keele looks at how school divisions and students have been responding to the first year of a school cellphone ban.

The first year of the cellphone ban in schools is almost over, and divisions are giving the new policy a ringing endorsement.

Last August, the Manitoba government banned phone use for K-8 students during school hours and during class hours for high school students.

CTV News reached out to school divisions to see how students and teachers are dealing with the ban. Nine of them responded, saying they’ve seen a meaningful impact, that kids are less distracted, more focused, and socializing more with each other instead of relying on their devices. One division reported a reduction in conflicts among students.

The Division Scolaire Franco Manitoban put a ban in place a year earlier. Superintendent Alain Laberge said things are going very well.

“They had to actually talk to each other, not text each other,” said Laberge.

The divisions said the vast majority of students adapted well to the ban, with minimal issues. But there have been cases where discipline was required, like taking a phone away. Laberge said in year one they had three one-day suspensions.

“Three suspensions is not a lot. We were expecting way more, but in the end we surveyed our students at the end of last year and it was all positive.”

While teachers and administrators say the no phone policy is working, some parents, like Doreen Swan, still have concerns.

“It’s kind of hard because she’s pretty much used to having a cell phone for quite a few years,” said Swan.

Swan said she would like to be able to get in touch with her daughter, who is going into high school next year, at all times.

“Especially if something were to be happening within the family and I can’t get a hold of her.”

Laberge reminds parents they can reach the school office at all times during the day if they need to reach their child.