Overview
We heard feedback from parents and education partners on the role cellphones should play in Alberta elementary, junior high and senior high schools.
Currently, Alberta school authorities have the autonomy to set their own policy on how students use cellphones in schools. Policies on cellphone use vary widely across school authorities, across the country and internationally.
Get informed
Cellphones are an ever-present feature of our daily lives, and Alberta's classrooms are no exception. Cellphones can be used as research and learning tools, to stay up to date on practice or club schedules, and to keep in touch with family in case of emergency. But cellphones can also be a distraction within an educational environment and can sometimes be used inappropriately within a classroom or school.
In recent years, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have all announced restrictions or bans on cellphone use in schools, with certain exceptions in place.
Get involved
Online survey
Parents, teachers and school staff shared feedback through an online survey between April 16 and May 3, 2024.
Stakeholder engagement
Education partners were invited to participate in both the online survey and virtual engagement sessions that took place in April 2024.
Outcomes
Your feedback will help us decide:
- whether students should be allowed to use cellphones in class
- the different approaches to cellphone use that might be applied for students in different grades
- how potential restrictions on cellphone use might be implemented in schools