Cell phones no longer permitted in classrooms

The Quesnel School District will have a brand new cell phone policy on the first day of class this year.

Superintendent Dan Lowndes says it is a province-wide initiative that is broken down into two separate set of rules.

“For elementary there are no personal digital devices during the school day, so they’ll be expected to be in backpacks or leave them at home for the entire day. For high-school it’s a little bit different. The restrictions are that the digital devices will be required to be in student’s lockers during the instructional time for the day, so they will access to them before school and during lunch time.”

Lowndes says they can also use them in between classes.

He says the only exception to the new rule would be if a teacher provided direction to students saying the phone is required during instructional time.

Lowndes says the motivation behind the new rules include student safety, but also to make sure that they are paying attention to the teacher.

“Distractions are a real thing and the access to digital devices definitely increases the amount of time students spend being distracted during the school day.”

Lowndes says reaction from parents has been pretty good in general.

He says a system in place for parents to contact their children in elementary schools, and he encourages parents to contact their school to set up a plan.

Lowndes says they have also added new language to the Code of Conduct policy for student behavior when it comes to complying with the new cell phone rules.

“There will be a clarifying letter going out to all students Wednesday (August 28), and we will have further information on our website. The whole purpose is really around progressive discipline, meaning if the offence of bringing a cell phone to a class room happens over and over again, then the response would be more significant.

Lowndes says the final step would be that the cell phone would be taken away and a parent would then have to come and pick it up