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As New Brunswick students return to school with a now-in-effect cellphone ban, two school district superintendents say they understand the measure but also have concerns.
“We’ve had these conversations of what screen time looks like, what digital use of digital tools look like,” said Anglophone East Supt. Randy MacLean, speaking with Information Morning Moncton on Tuesday.
“Society has evolved, the economy has evolved, publicly funded education must evolve. I understand the ban.”
The province introduced bans on personal devices in all classrooms in late August to limit distractions for students.
While MacLean understands the decision, he said “a cellphone for a large chunk of our students is the only piece of technology they have because they do not have a laptop or table.”
MacLean acknowledged the province does not have capacity to take every individual circumstance into account but said there are unanswered questions about what it could mean for students’ futures.
“So we’re taking the sole piece of technology a student has out of their hands in an age where we’re looking at what artificial intelligence could look like in the classroom,” he said.
“All tools which students will need to be able to compete in the next economy.”
Policy 311 bans cellphone use and other personal mobile devices for students in kindergarten to Grade 8 during the school day, according to the province’s policy document.
Students in grades 9 to 12 will have a more phased-in approach where students will be allowed to use devices in classrooms — at a teacher’s discretion — for education-related purposes. A full ban like the one which applies to kindergarten to Grade 8 students will come into effect in February.
“We really recognize that limiting the use of personal technology devices in schools can promote greater attention in classrooms,” said Monique Boudreau, superintendent of Francophone South School District, which serves southeastern francophone schools.
But, she said, schools would have liked more consultation from the province and that a blanket ban for kindergarten to Grade 8 students could have negative impacts on younger students’ education.
“We were working with them to integrate their personal technology for them to be prepared for high school,” she said.
“So this is [quite a challenge] because the availability of technology equipment in schools is not there. We don’t have all of the equipment to serve all of our students.”
Boudreau said students having devices helped teachers in these cases.
Anglophone West Supt. David McTimoney said phones cause distractions not only in schools but throughout the lives of adolescents and children.
He said the measures will allow more meaningful face-to-face connections in schools.
“We think it’s going to bring the learning environment back to something that’s more engaging,” he said.
McTimoney said schools have autonomy in enforcement and that teachers and school staff know their students best.
“They can work out school policy expectations, guidelines that they’ll want to follow when it comes to addressing concerns with students who don’t want to respect the provincial policy that’s been put in place,” he said.
Lunch program delayed for 56 schools
Cellphone bans aren’t the only big change hitting the province’s schools this year. New Brunswick’s education department announced what it calls a “pay-what-you-can” lunch program in June.
The lunches will be provided by a designated service provider.
The department said last week the program would be delayed for some schools due to unfinished school kitchen renovations required for the rollout.
In a statement to CBC News sent early Saturday, a provincial spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said lunch service will begin at 241 schools in the province Tuesday. Fifty-six, Macfarlane’s statement said, would face potential delay.
“The families at these schools have been notified, and wherever possible, bagged lunch will be available for the first few days of classes with many of the remaining 20 percent of schools expected to be online by the following week of school.”
Macfarlane said delays were due to some situations needing “unique solutions,” which include “last minute equipment or inspection issues.”
The department’s statement included a list of schools impacted by the delays. Thirty-nine are in Anglophone South, while seven are in Anglophone North, one in Anglophone East and six in Anglophone West. This list includes three francophone district schools — two in the south and one north.
McTimoney called the program a “huge investment” by the provincial government.
“[It’s] one that we’re counting on making a difference when it comes to students and their ability to focus at school,” he said.
“And everyone knows that if kids are hungry, then that’s going to take away from their concentration and their opportunity to learn.”
