Sudbury teacher says ban on cellphones in Ontario classrooms 'doesn't have teeth'

A high school teacher in Sudbury says the news of a ban on cellphones in classrooms doesn't mean much to the education community.

Earlier this week, the Ford Conservative government said it plans to prohibit cellphones in public school classrooms starting in September. But it would be up to individual schools and school boards to enforce the rule.

Teachers have been dealing with the issue for years already, and most school boards and/or schools have their own policies about electronic devices in classrooms.

"I'm not sure if it's a policy that really has any teeth," says Eric Laberge, a teacher at Lockerby Composite School.

"The consistency that a policy is meant to provide is not really going to be necessarily widespread or enforced the same way in all jurisdictions."

Laberge is also a part of the executive for the Rainbow District of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.

He says since Lockerby is a technology school, teachers there encourage students to use their cellphones, laptops and tablets in the classroom, as part of the school's online learning environment.

"Because we encourage the connectedness of the students with the online world for educational purposes, in my classroom anyway, students always have access to their devices, so long as they're being used properly."

Distractions will always be an issue

However, Laberge admits that distractions still happen often, but teachers already know how to manage those students who get off task.

"Whether it's a cellphone, whether it's a tablet, whether it's a laptop, distractions are always going to be an issue."

In his classroom, Laberge says he will first speak to the student who is distracted while they're using an electronic device. That normally works to get the student back on track.

But if the student continues the behaviour, Laberge says he makes the student put the cellphone in 'the parking lot.' This is a special table in the corner of the classroom, and the device must remain there until the end of class.

Laberge says there will always be distractions, but it's up to teachers and other staff to manage those students who get off task.

When it comes to the ban from the provincial government, Laberge says there will be a number of diverse opinions since some teachers will welcome the news, while others — who use online learning for their courses — will have reservations.

"But again, based on what has been released so far saying it will be up to individual boards and teachers to enforce the policy as they see fit, to me it's business as usual, as far as this announcement is concerned."

"It's not really changing what's been the practice in our school for the past several years."