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A Vancouver school board motion calling for students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 to keep phones on silent and out of site will be debated next month.
The motion was introduced by chair Victoria Jung on Monday night and asks that codes of conduct be updated in Vancouver schools to restrict student use of personal digital devices.
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The motion calls directly for the K-6 restrictions and for a working group to share ways to restrict student personal digital device use at school. The K-6 restriction has recently been introduced into Ontario public schools.
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On Monday night, the board voted to consider the motion at the Education Plan Committee on May 15.
Trustee Suzie Mah said that there needed to be consultation with stakeholder groups.
In January, Premier David Eby told all school districts they had until July 1 to have policies in place that restrict students’ cellphone use in the classroom.
Eby said: “While cellphones, the internet and social media help us connect with each other, they also present risks that can harm kids. The impact and influence of these tools is so great, and the corporations so powerful, it can be overwhelming for parents.”
He said cellphones, the internet and social media could be harmful to children.
Eby called for a service that removes images from the internet and the creation of legislation to “hold social media companies accountable for the harm they have caused.”
Jung said that she wanted Vancouver to be a leader among school districts updating their codes of conduct.
“It is important for Vancouver to be a leader in this field,” she said. “We know from experience that dealing with devices in the classroom is often a complex matter. Having buy-in and input from students, teachers, parents, and administration is absolutely crucial.”
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