The Delta School Board has approved a district-wide policy restricting cell phone use in the classroom.
Aimed at creating a clear, consistent policy among schools, as well as adhering to a new provincial guideline to restrict students’ classroom cell phone use by the start of the next school year, the policy takes effect July 1, 2024.
The board approved the policy at its June 18 meeting, where Assistant Superintendent Judy Maranda said the policy applies to any device that can connect to the Internet and can distract from learning.
In elementary schools, cell phones must be stored away and cannot be accessed any time during the school day.
Accommodations will be made for the use of personal digital devices for instructional purposes and digital literacy as well as accessibility needs.
Schools will communicate with parents should any issues arise with students, explained Maranda.
In high schools, cell phones are not permitted during instructional times unless explicitly required by a teacher for specific educational purposes, including integration into instructional planning.
“There needs to be a direct link between using the device, whichever it is, and learning. It can’t be ‘we’re going to allow the devices in class for kids to access music’. There has to be a direct link to actual learning objectives,” said Maranda.
Everyone will be dealt with on an individual basis if devices are needed for individual support plans or other reasons, such as health-related requirements, she added.
“We don’t want to be a barrier to learning, we just don’t want it to be something that’s actually preventing us from engaging in learning,” said Maranda.
Also explained at a recent meeting of the Delta Parent Advisory Council (DPAC), the Delta policy is connected to the district’s Code of Conduct, which is to have a path of “progressive discipline” for those not following the rules.
According to the province, the Provincial Standards for Codes of Conduct Order has been amended to require school boards to ensure their codes of conduct include statements about restricting the use of personal digital devices to reduce distractions in classrooms and support focused learning environments, foster online safety and promote provincial consistency.
The Delta district’s procedure was revised two years ago, stating that mobile devices are not to be used during class time, unless such use helps with learning as permitted by the teacher, but those procedures were not necessarily enforced throughout the schools, said Maranda.
