Proposed cellphone ban is too extreme with no nuance, say St. John's students

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is proposing sweeping policy changes that would keep cellphones out of all public schools. But, Holy Heart students Olive Jones and Kalista Barrett say they are also a valuable tool.

"There's a lot of students that are saying that yes, cell phones can be a problem, but the policy is just way too extreme. It's an all or nothing scenario," Barrett told CBC Radio's On the Go.

Barrett says cellphones aren't the only devices that will get cut under the ban. Laptops, tablets, smart watches and earbuds are also on the hook, she said.

Jones says she'll often pull out her cellphone to help with classroom assignments, rather than approach the teacher for guidance.

"It is used a lot as an educational tool," she said.

The provincial government's proposed changes are to the Education Department's personal electronic devices policy. The changes would outright ban phones for Grades K-6, but would permit older grades to have them if they're turned off and stored out of sight. 

According to the proposed policy, available on the N.L. Schools website, there are exemptions for laptops and tablets used for instructional purposes.

The proposal was open to public input until Friday. Changes are expected to come into effect as early as January.

Policy proposes to tackle social ailments

The policy alleges that cellphones in schools are behind a number of social problems, and removing them will help address that.

Jones said she agreed cellphones can be a distraction, but suggests a solution would be to just keep them on silent.

Both students disagreed that cellphones negatively impact their communication, empathy and social skills.

The proposed ban means students still won't be able to access their phones during lunchtime, which Barrett believes is because of concerns around cyberbullying.

But, she said, with or without phones, bullying is going to happen.

"They should try to be informing students about cyberbullying … to prevent it instead," she said.

The policy also makes connections between cellphones and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. 

Barrett says that hasn't been proven.

"I don't think there has been a conversation as to how or why phones are causing that," she said.

The policy also alleges that cellphone usage leads to less physical activity, something Barrett takes issue with.

While there are physical classes in the curriculum, she said, students have to choose to take them. If a student is taking physics, they're not going out for a run, she said.

Jones says the "automatic blame" on phones simply isn't fair.

The lunch period ban on cellphones is the biggest issue with the proposed policy change, both students say.

Both get picked up from school each day, and say they need to be able to communicate with their parents.

Barrett says students also have commitments like jobs, volunteering and extracurricular activities that could also be impacted by the ban.

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