New rules on phones and vaping in Ontario schools come into effect Sept. 1

Ontario students are heading back to school, but this year, the provincial government says there will be fewer distractions.

The province’s newly minted education minister, Jill Dunlop, held a press conference Thursday where she reaffirmed the government’s plan to restrict the use of cellphones and ban vaping in schools.

The minister said students in kindergarten to grade six will have phones banned for the “full instructional day” and students in grade seven and up “will be required to turn off their mobile devices or set them to silent mode and keep them out of view when they’re in the classroom.”

“Students who need their mobile device for special education needs or for monitoring a medical condition will still be able to use them,” she added. 

The government is also introducing an explicit ban on vaping devices in schools, along with nicotine and tobacco products.

This was Dunlop’s first event as education minister after just two weeks on the job. She replaced former MPP Todd Smith who resigned from his position earlier this month to take up a role in the private sector.

The province says it is spending $47.5 million to implement its “safe and healthy learning” plan.

Here’s how the money will be spent:

• $30 million for vape detectors and other security upgrades in schools.
• $15 million will be used to expand programs that offer direct support to students who are at risk of substance use and addictive behaviours.
• $1 million to School Mental Health Ontario to develop webinars and resources for parents and students to learn how to talk about the adverse effects of vaping and excessive cellphone usage.
• $1.5 million for school boards to run grassroots campaigns to deter vaping and cellphone distractions.

Dunlop says the new rules will be a “culture change” for many schools and is encouraging educators to feel empowered.

“If students do not abide by those rules, they’ll be asked to put the cell phone in a safe space in the classroom, and if students do not follow that, they’ll be asked to go to the principal’s office,” the minister told reporters on Thursday. “There are discipline measures in place that can be taken, and we will support the principals in those measures.”

Dunlop, who is the mother of three daughters, says she knows firsthand how cellphones can cause a distraction in the classroom. 

“Students are in the classroom to learn, and teachers deserve that respect of the students to be there, listening and learning,” she said. “[Phones can be] a great educational resource in the classroom, when that time is called for by the teacher.”