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With less than two weeks before the first day of school, the New Brunswick government has introduced a ban on personal devices in all classrooms — and soon to be, school in general.
“We want to send a clear message that we want distractions to be limited as much as possible to be able to refocus on literacy, numeracy and social connection,” Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Claire Johnson said.
Johnson made the announcement at Oromocto High School on Friday, saying that Policy 311, which includes the province’s cellphone guidance for schools, was being revised and Policy 902, which addresses screen use in early learning centres, was being added.
Johnson said starting in September, students in kindergarten to Grade 8 will not be allowed to use cellphones or personal mobile devices at school at all, from the start of the day to the end.
High schools will have more of a transition period. High school students will not be allowed to use phones during class time but can use them at lunch and between classes — until second semester, when high schools will adopt the same policy as K-8.
“Based on our observation and feedback and collaboration that we have with schools and with districts, teenagers seem to be a little bit more attached to these devices than the younger students,” Johnson said. “So the younger students are already closer to what we want to see with this policy.”
The policies also restrict access to some social media sites on school networks and devices, but Johnson did not say which ones were included, and a list has yet to be provided. She said social media platforms that can be used for educational purposes will stay.
Johnson said the policy will have exceptions, such as for kids with medical requirements like special learning tools or glucose monitoring.
Starting in September, New Brunswick schools will ban cellphones and smart mobile devices for students in kindergarten to Grade 8. High school students will face the same ban early next year.
With the new policy for licensed child-care centres, screen time will now be limited to 30 minutes or less, with no screen time at all for children under two. The screen time must have an educational purpose, Johnson said, and it can’t happen during meal times.
New Brunswick’s ban on cellphones in school is similar to a policy adopted in 2025 by the Quebec government, banning cellphones and personal devices from the beginning of the day to the end, including breaks.
Johnson said she knows there will be challenges with rolling this policy out, as every student can’t be policed at all times in every place, especially for schools with open lunches, but she said this policy is the first step to reducing distractions.
David Shipley, the CEO of cybersecurity company Beauceron Security, was at the announcement and said he was consulted on the policy. He said he is 100 per cent in support of it.
“When this comes into effect, kids are going to feel it,” Shipley said. “These devices access parts of your brain, the reward centres — same way tobacco does.
“We need to do to big tech what we did as a society to big tobacco: hold them accountable for the harms they’ve caused and protect our most vulnerable.”
Heidi Ryder, president of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, said in an emailed statement she hopes “the province’s new initiatives lead to improvements not only in literacy and numeracy, but also in student wellbeing.”
She said the changes will require “careful implementation” along with time and patience. She said it’s also important that every student, especially high schoolers, have access to an alternate device when it is needed for learning.
“The NBTA is willing to work with all education stakeholders … to support a thoughtful and successful transition.”
Jen Worrall, a Fredericton parent, said she thinks the cellphone ban is fantastic.
She said she has rules about cellphones in her home and finds it can even be difficult for adults to manage their screen time.
“We have to help them come up with these good habits because they’re designed to be so addictive,” Worrall said.
Joe Dempsey agreed, saying that banning cellphones in classrooms is likely a good decision in the long run.
Still, he said there is knowledge that kids can gain online that they might struggle to get at home, such as information on queer communities.
“There’s a lot to learn,” he said. “But I do think that it’s a bit of a distraction and can be harmful.”
