Majority of Canadians Support Cellphone Restrictions in Classroom, Poll Finds

A young girl uses a cellphone in this file photo. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images)

More than 90 percent of Canadians support the restriction of cellphone use in the classroom, a recently released survey suggests.

Fifty-five percent of respondents say students shouldn’t be permitted to use cellphones at all, while 36 percent say they shouldn’t be allowed without teacher approval, according to the SecondStreet.org poll conducted by Leger.

“It’s rare to see such a strong consensus on a particular issue,” said SecondStreet.org communications director Dom Lucyk in a press release.

“It’s clear—whether it’s a total ban or something slightly more permissive, Canadians think cellphones are a distraction and should be restricted in classrooms.”

Only 5 percent of those surveyed approved of cellphone use in the classroom, while 4 percent were unsure.

Those aged 55 and older were the least likely to support cellphone use in class—only 2 percent were in favour—compared to the 18 to 34 age group in which 10 percent were in favour. Six percent of the middle age group supported cellphone use in the classroom.

Opinions by Province

Opinion also varied by province, with Quebec showing the highest level of support for a complete ban in class at 68 percent. The province has already enforced a cellphone ban in class, with the new rule taking effect Dec. 31. It applies to public elementary and secondary schools, but it offers teachers flexibility to let students use phones for educational purposes.

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In Ontario, 50 percent of those surveyed said they would back a cellphone ban while 36 percent were in favour of cellphone use only with teacher permission.

The results come on the heels of the Ontario government announcing plans to crack down on cellphone use at school.

As of September, students in kindergarten through Grade 6 will be required to keep their cellphones on silent and “out of sight” for the entire school day unless they have explicit permission to use it, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said at an April 28 press conference. For students in Grades 7 through 12, cellphones will only be permitted during class time with teacher permission.

“When it comes to cellphones, our policy is ‘out of sight and out of mind,’ as we get students back to the basics by restoring focus, safety and common sense back in Ontario schools,” Mr. Lecce said.

The province least likely to support a ban was British Columbia. Only 48 percent were in favour of restricting phone use completely, despite upcoming plans from the province to crack down on their use. All B.C. schools are to have policies in place to restrict students’ classroom cellphone use by the start of the next school year.

Education Minister Rachna Singh said cellphones in the classroom can distract children from “focused learning” in school.

“There also is a time and a place for cellphones, including when they support student accessibility purposes,” she said in a statement early this year.

“By learning in a safe school environment how to use their cellphones responsibly and respectfully, including when to put them away, students will be better able to develop healthy habits around technology and social media use in their everyday lives.”

Currently, Alberta school authorities have the autonomy to set their own policy on how students use cellphones in schools. Policies on cellphone use vary widely across school authorities, across the country, and internationally.

In Alberta, support for a cellphone ban sits at 51 percent, according to the Leger survey. But the province has also completed a cellphone survey and the feedback will help the government decide its next steps.

Currently, each school authority can set its own policy on how kindergarten to Grade 12 students use cellphones, the province said.

“Cellphones can be used as research and learning tools, to stay up to date on practice or club schedules, and to keep in touch with family in case of emergency,” said the province’s website.

“But cellphones can also be a distraction within an educational environment and can sometimes be used inappropriately within a classroom or school.”