Nova Scotia will have a new policy on cellphone use in schools by September.
After Ontario announced new restrictions on cellphone use in schools early this week, Nova Scotia is reviewing its own policy, according to Education Minister Becky Druhan.
“I would say we’ve heard that there’s a desire for support around this,” says Druhan.
But it may not be a big change.
She expects the policy will be “something different” than the current one.
But she doesn’t want to assume what the changes could be, because the government is still consulting school officials and teachers.
So far, she says the government met with a student advisory council and sent a survey to school advisory councils. In the next few weeks, they will consult with students, teachers and administrators to gather their input and create the new policy ahead of the coming school year.
“We’re going to be guided by what we hear and create something that meets the needs of our Nova Scotia schools,” she says.
Ontario recently changed its cellphone policy to ban phone use in classrooms unless a teacher permits students to use them.
Cellphones can be a great educational tool, but they also provide challenges, she says.
“We know that they can be distracting and that there are other issues around the use of cell phones and devices in classrooms,” she says.
