As students return to class next week, Ontario’s new education minister is cracking down on cell phone use in schools.
For the new school year, students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to have their phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day unless allowed by a teacher.
Students from Grade 7-12 will be allowed to use phones on school property but only outside of class time.
The Ford government announced the cellphone ban in April but wasn’t set to take effect until the start of the 2024-25 school year.
Education Minister Jill Dunlop says this is a new initiative and a culture change that’s happening in the classrooms.
