B.C. gov’t reminding parents of classroom cellphone policies as kids head back to school

With children across B.C. heading back to school next week, some parents may be wondering about the cellphone policy in classrooms.

The province confirms, for the second year in a row, the strict no-phone policy is in place, but some question how effective it really is.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care tells 1130 NewsRadio all 60 school districts in the province are required to have a code of conduct in place, restricting students’ use of all personal digital devices, including phones and tablets in the classroom.

But, because it’s up to each district, different rules apply in different schools — right down to the educator.

“Teachers have professional autonomy over how they teach topics to best meet the learning needs of individual students in their class, in an age-appropriate and locally relevant way, including using digital tools and technology in the classroom. Details of the restrictions may vary slightly from district to district,” said the ministry in a statement.

Children are also allowed to use their devices if there are concerns around accessibility and accommodation or medical and health needs.

The codes of conduct address several areas limiting cellphone use, including:

• Restrictions on the use of personal digital devices at school, including during hours of instruction;
• Use of personal digital devices for instructional purposes and digital literacy;
• Use of personal digital devices that is appropriate to a student’s age and developmental stage;
• Accessibility and accommodation needs;
• Medical and health needs;
• Equity to support learning outcomes.

The government claims it received positive feedback from educators and parents that reducing device use leads to children paying better attention during instruction time.

The rule was first put in place last fall to help limit distractions in the classroom and keep kids safe from potential online harms.

In August 2024, Premier David Eby said cellphones were being restricted from “bell to bell.”

“A restriction on cellphones to make sure that kids can be kids, and can learn and can develop strong social relationships with their friends at school in the absence of these devices. And parents can make their own choices about whether or not their family is comfortable with a kid having a device or not, and removing that peer pressure that comes when everybody has a phone,” said Eby at the time.

The ministry adds that school boards have to ensure district codes of conduct are reviewed annually for efficacy.