Students push back against Quebec's plan to fully ban cellphones in schools
'Our phones are a very crucial part of our education,' says student
Many students across Quebec have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the government's decision to impose a full ban on cellphone and other electronic devices.
On April 30, the province's Education Minister Bernard Drainville announced his move as part of a series of measures to improve "civility" in Quebec's schools.
The province had already banned cellphones in classrooms — a measure that took effect the first day of last year, following the lead of an increasing list of provinces with similar policies.
The full ban on cellphones will come into effect as of the next school year in primary and high schools whether they're private or public — and it will apply from the beginning to the end of the school day.
But many don't approve of the new rule.
Students have been publishing videos on social media to express their frustration and share their perspective.
Some even went on strike on Friday, missing a day of class.
Karry-Jokebed Fournier, a 16-year-old, took part in a small protest in front of her school.
"I tell [Drainville] to worry about real problems instead of worrying about the phones because there's real problems in the world that need to be fixed and phones are just not a problem," said the student at Daniel-Johnson High School, which is located in Montreal's east end neighbourhood of Pointe-aux-Trembles.
Karry-Jokebed said students use their phones to "get a taste of the world," and contact their parents or even monitor their health.
"We want to feel a sense of security ... when we come to school. It also helps our parents know that we are alright and that we are safe," she said.
Drainville argued that cellphones are an obstacle to socialization among students and can be a source of conflict.
But Karry-Jokebed asserted that students talk to each other all the time.
"During lunch time, the cafeteria is so loud, with students talking to each other. It's really rare to see somebody glued to their phone," she said.
Triston Houghting, a 16-year-old from Rosemount High School, described the move as "ridiculous" and remarked that phones were also a way of socializing.
"Teachers grew up in an age where they didn't really use phones in their generation. We grew up with our phones and we're kind of attached to them to communicate with our parents, know what's going on in the world," he said.
"We're in a generation where information is very important and I feel like our phones are a very crucial part of our education."
Triston explained that he used his phone in class to listen to music, allowing him to "get in the zone" and focus on his mathematics work, which he usually doesn't enjoy.
He added that most students used their phones for research and that he preferred not to read paper books. Using text-to-speech softwares, he said, helps him get through material more quickly.
Phone used to escape reality, says student
The cellphone ban was recommended by a special committee that studies the impact of screens on young people. The interim report that followed showed that cellphones were a source of distraction and interfered with students' ability to learn.
But the report also stated that there may be specific exceptions when the use of electronic devices is necessary, such as when a student's medical condition justifies it, for teachers' educational purposes or to support students with disabilities or learning difficulties.
Triston acknowledged that students can "probably" get distracted for a minute or two during class, but suggested it was not really a concern.
Sharlie Rose Moreau, a Secondary 2 student from Daniel-Johnson High School, describes the cellphone ban as "useless."
"Most people just pass their time on their phone to forget reality," she said.
Moreau shared that she didn't have many friends and sometimes spends her lunch breaks listening to music.
She also emphasized that access to phones is important for students to record evidence, especially if teachers display worrisome behaviours.
The education minister's announcement of a full ban on cellphones in schools came weeks before the special committee is expected to table its final report.
In addition to the effects of screen time on young people, that report will explore topics such as cyberbullying and explicit content, supervision measures at school and online, access to social media and video games as well as advertising targeted at children.
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With files from CBC's Gloria Henriquez and Benjamin Shingler