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CAQ hangs up on PQ motion to regulate cellphones in Quebec classrooms

The proposal was supported by the Liberals and Québec solidaire after the word "ban" was removed from the motion.

A child's hands on a desk, using a smartphone
A child uses a smartphone at their desk. SunMedia

The Legault government on Tuesday blocked a motion by the Parti Québécois calling for regulations governing the use of cellphones in the classrooms of the province’s elementary and high schools.

PQ MNA Pascal Bérubé, who trained as a teacher, called for the regulations to go into effect in time for the next school year.

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The motion urged legislators to consider the harmful effects of cellphones on the motivation of students and their ability to concentrate. It said similar measures adopted in other jurisdictions resulted in positive effects on the ability of students to interact with one another.

The motion also said regulation of phone use would result in a drop in online bullying.

The PQ proposal was supported by the Quebec Liberals and Québec solidaire, although that support was obtained after the word “ban” was dropped from the motion and replaced with a call for regulation.

However, the motion got no farther than an attempt to table it in the legislature. Coalition Avenir Québec deputy-house leader Mathieu Lévesque refused to consent to the process.

Last month, 92 per cent of 7,000 teachers polled by the Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE) said they supported a ban on cellphones in classrooms. FSE president Josée Scalabrini told the Journal de Québec that teachers wanted to reduce distractions in the classroom and also worried about being recorded without their knowledge by students.

“It’s a fight,” Scalabrini said. “There were years when the fight was wearing hats in class or chewing gum. Now it’s cellphones.”

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville has said he is open to “thinking about” a total ban on the devices in classrooms.

In 2021, during a consultation examining the health effects on youth of screen use, numerous experts warned of harmful side effects including sleep loss and weight gain. They added that the devices could also play a role in various teaching methods.

  1. Malorie Beaufils launched an initiative called No Phone Tuesday, encouraging fellow Joliette High School students to leave their cellphones at home or in their lockers one day a week. “Some teachers suggested I use a reward, but I didn’t want that,” says the 16-year-old, who is about to begin studies at John Abbott College. “I wanted students to do it to feel better about themselves.”

    Quebec schools give cellphone use a mixed reception

  2. Rather than being viewed as an endless distraction for teens — and adults, for that matter — new research indicates smartphones might actually offer an opportunity for deeper learning, Juan Carlos Castro writes.

    Opinion: Schools should make creative use of smartphones

  3. Across Montreal and throughout the province, teachers continue to grapple with the issue of cellphones in the classroom.

    Rather than a full ban, some teachers embrace smartphones as learning tools