Ontario has banned cellphones in class. We take a deeper dive into the new rules for schools

This Matters

Guests: Jasmine Eastmond, Tristan Kim and Kristin Rushowy

The Ontario government has announced a crackdown on cellphones and vaping in schools, new regulations that are being seen as some of the toughest in Canada. According to Education Minister Stephen Lecce, the new government policy for cellphones, with some exceptions, is out of sight, out of mind. With this new move to ban cellphone use in classrooms, Ontario has joined a global movement with similar restrictions being imposed in the UK, Australia, France and some Scandinavian countries. There are many questions about enforcement and effectiveness, chief among them: how are teachers going to keep young people away from their phones in an increasingly digital ecosystem?

Audio sources: CP24

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz. With files from Emily Fagan