Is the Ontario education cell phone ban working for Ottawa schools?

Back to the past: In April 2024, the provincial government of Ontario announced a plan to remove distractions from classrooms, citing cell phone use as a significant interruption to learning. 

• "We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cell phones in classrooms distract kids from learning," said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. "Regarding cellphones, our policy is 'out of sight and out of mind,' as we get students back to the basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense in Ontario schools."

The plan was not entirely new; many schools already had cell phone bans or restrictions, though their implementation was not always mandatory — if at all. Even now, it's still up to the teachers to enforce the ban as much as they want. 

It was supported by many health and educator providers when it was announced, including former CHEO CEO Alex Munter, who said they are seeing increased mental health impacts of excessive exposure to social media among children and youth. Through clever marketing, he noted it "has made e-cigarettes seem fun and harmless — even though they're not and even though they often lead youth to tobacco smoking."

Mixed opinions: The policy was enacted this school year, and now that we're a few months into the school year, the Ottawa Lookout has spent some time talking with local students and teaching staff about their experience so far. Due to privacy, only first names were used. 

Lily, a grade 12 student at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa's downtown core, stated, "It's not really that bad…because we should have discipline at this point. I think we're pretty much — most of us — pretty good at monitoring our time on the phones." 

She also shared that she hasn't noticed much difference with the implementation of the cell phone ban from last year, pointing out, "it depends on the teachers. Some say, 'Make sure you do not have your phone out.' Others are like, 'It doesn't matter, just don't be playing games in my class.'"

Sofia, another grade 12 student at Lisgar, held a similar view. She said teachers were more effective at enforcing the rules at the beginning of the ban. 

• "You had to put your phone in your backpack, and you couldn't be on your phone. And if a teacher saw you more than three or four times with your phone, your phone would be taken away and given back at the end of class," said Sofia. "The first few weeks were like that, but now I think it's more chill."

Reducing screen time: At Colonel By Secondary School in Ottawa's Beacon Hill neighbourhood, Charlotte, a grade 12 student said she supported the ban because it allows students to be more focused. That accountability has also helped outside of school. 

• "I think it helps because then I remember, 'oh, I'm not supposed to be on my phone,' so it takes away from the habit of you might open up YouTube or social media - it reduces that, which is good," said Charlotte. 

But what about an emergency or for educational use? Thomas, a grade 8 Fisher Park Middle School student, stated he didn't think the cell phone ban was fair. 

• "Phones are a good use for us. Let's say our mom texts; we should [be able to] text them back. And let's say we don't have a calculator; that's something we need in our school."

So what do the teachers think? 

It was hard to find educators willing to go on the record, so we took to Reddit and Facebook, where we asked instead. The responses were overall positive about the ban, and they felt it gave them more tools. 

• "There is a huge difference. Students mostly default to not being on their phone in class, rather than constantly sitting on it. I have still had to send a few students to the office about it, but it's like four out of 60 kids making it an issue rather than 40."

Many teachers commented that they're noticing changes in how students connect, with one educator saying, "The students are very aware of the consequences and don't put up a fight when asked to put it away. Now, I allow my students to listen to their music when doing independent work, but even then, they are more focused and keep the screen facing down. They're interacting more with each other."

A grade 9-12 teacher said that before the ban, teachers had given up on trying to get students to put away cell phones because there wasn't admin support for dealing with them. 

The trend is catching on: The new restrictions caught the eye of Newfoundland and Labrador, which implemented a cell phone ban for its middle school and high school students as of this January. The rule also prohibits the use of smartwatches and earbuds and applies to teachers. Devices should be placed in a school bag, desk drawer, or locker. 

What happens if you don't comply? A first violation results in an email sent home to the student's parents. A second violation means surrendering the device for the rest of the school day. A third violation means the device goes to the principal's office, where a parent or guardian has to collect it.