Mixed views on cellphones as Harbour Grace school puts in restrictions

St. Francis School in Harbour Grace is bringing in new restrictions on electronic devices in the school, allowing only older students to bring the devices in the building as the school reviews its overall policies.

That announcement on Monday evening walked back an earlier one from the school, made in a Facebook post, saying that as of April 1 all students from kindergarten to Grade 8 would no longer be permitted to bring "personal technology devices" into the school building. According to the post, such devices include cellphones, tablets and gaming systems.

"These devices continue to cause major attention and behavioural problems for our students and they are interfering with student learning," the Facebook post read.

In the updated announcement, the school said that for now, Grade 7 and Grade 8 students will be allowed to bring electronic devices inside St. Francis School, with "strict guidelines" on classroom use.

Discussions on technology use at the school would begin this month, the Monday night Facebook post said, and were expected to come up at the next school council meeting.

'It's a great thing'

Community response to the new restrictions is mixed, with some saying that while it was good to keep cellphones and tablets out of classrooms, students should be allowed to have the devices in the building.

But earlier on Monday, other people in the community said they supported the school's initial decision as necessary to ensure students are focusing on learning when they're in class.

Bruce Milley said that devices like cellphones are not allowed in his college classroom at the Canadian Training Institute, and they shouldn't be allowed in schools for younger students either. 

"I think it's a great thing," said Milley, who said the devices are an obstacle to getting a good education.

And Carolyn Chard, who said the decision was a topic of discussion at her family's dinner table the previous evening, said that there are downsides to being constantly connected to friends — or even parents.

"I think it leads to a lot of anxiety in young people because they can't really do a whole lot of stuff on their own without connecting to somebody else," Chard said.

Concerns about safety

But some of the people who agreed that cellphones in the classroom are a problem also thought the initial ban implemented by St. Francis went too far.

I think they should be entitled to that comfort and that safety that the technology can afford us now in this day and age.- Tracey Sceviour

Tracey Sceviour said she understands a restriction on use during class, but thinks cellphones and other devices are personal property that students should be allowed to access before and after classes begin.

"I'm a single parent, I have a daughter that leaves school on the bus each day and she calls me each day," Sceviour said. Her daughter is able to use her phone to let her know when she's on the way home, she said, and to contact her if her after-school plans change.

At a time when lives and families are different, having a cellphone or tablet is a way for children to be in touch with their parents, she said.

"I think they should be entitled to that comfort and that safety that the technology can afford us now in this day and age."

The decision at St. Francis comes just a few weeks after the Ontario government announced a ban on phones and tablets in all of the province's schools.

In March, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District said in a statement that in general, the use of personal electronic devices is not permitted in kindergarten to Grade 6 classrooms unless they are needed to support a student's documented learning needs. 

For older grades, electronic use should be for educational use only, the board said.

Policies on the classroom use of cellphones and other electronic devices can be decided at the school or district level, the province's education department said in a statement.

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