More than two-thirds of teachers reported having to enforce their school’s cellphone policy at least once a day for K-3 students
More than two-thirds of Alberta teachers said they had to enforce their school’s cellphone use policy daily among the youngest students, according to an internal government report.
The report summarizes Alberta Education’s public engagement between April 16 and May 3 with teachers, parents, principals and education staff on the role cellphone use should play.
It shows that while teachers had to increasingly enforce their school’s cellphone policy as students progressed through grades, the issue was already apparent at the earliest levels, with 67.8 per cent of responding teachers saying they had to enforce the policy at least once a day among those between kindergarten and Grade 3.
That daily enforcement number rose to 91.6 per cent among high school students.
“Managing cellphone use seems to be more difficult for those teaching higher grades compared to lower grades. This shows a tension between the general perception that the use should be more liberal as students get older and that challenges increase with age,” the report read.
Postmedia obtained the 38-page report via a freedom of information request.
Just over 59 per cent of all respondents indicated that phones should never be used in the classroom for those below Grade 4. Less than five per cent of respondents said phones should be allowed during breaks or free time for kindergarten to Grade 3 students. About a quarter of parents with kids in that age range said their child owns a cellphone.
Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said phone use should never or rarely be allowed in schools.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides cited risks to student mental well-being and academic success in imposing restrictions.
“It was imperative we implement new provincewide standards to limit the use of personal mobile devices for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 during class time to prioritize learning,” he said in a statement to Postmedia.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association says the new government direction reflects its own policy to keep students focused while “balancing” technology use.
B.C., Quebec and Ontario have also recently moved to restrict phones in classrooms.
— with files from Michael Rodriguez and Ramin Ostad