Niagara teachers already police cellphone use: Student trustees

13 Mar Niagara teachers already police cellphone use: Student trustees

Banning cellphone use in classrooms is not necessary because teachers are already on top of making sure they aren’t being used for non-educational purposes once class starts, says Jade Bilodeau, a student trustee for Niagara Catholic District School Board.

A Grade 11 student at Saint Paul Catholic High School in Niagara Falls, Bilodeau was responding to a statement from Ontario Education Minister Lisa Thompson, released Tuesday, that the provincial government plans to prohibit the devices from classrooms unless teachers are using them for educational reasons.

Bilodeau said most of her teachers collect smartphones at the start of class, but when they are used for study purposes, students are required to prove they were conducting research with them.