PRINCE ALBERT – Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, cell phones will no longer be permitted during class in all K-12 schools in Saskatchewan.

Local school authorities are currently considering what to do with the announcement.

Lorel Trumier, director of education for the Prince Albert Catholic School Division, said the division understands the logic but students are not seeing much change.

“The schedule is – I’ll use the word interesting – but we understand that the goal was to really focus on learning,” Trumier said.

“We want students to have a good experience. I think our students probably won’t feel much difference from what we already do in our schools right now,” she said.

Trumier said the goals of the announcement align with the department’s goals to optimize learning for both students and staff.

She said there may still be some small adjustments to the department’s procedures, but she does not expect any abrupt changes since students are already expected to adhere to class times.

She said the department is already going through everything necessary around registration time.

“Most of our students understand the need for any kind of guidelines and I would say our families have been very supportive as well,” Trumier said.

“We’re going to use this opportunity to promote digital literacy because it has raised awareness of it and I think that’s important as we go through the start of this school year. We’re obviously going to do some processes with our staff and help them prepare for some of the elements that may be a little different or changing,” she said.

These new measures apply to all schools from kindergarten to grade 12 in the province.

In grades 9 through 12, teachers may request a waiver from the school administration to allow students to use cell phones during class if it is necessary for a specific educational purpose.

According to Trumier, students can already use devices if they are suitable and approved by the administration.

“We’re just going to talk about how we can introduce cell phones into these classrooms and how that would work,” Trumier said.

She said that digital tools are important to learn from time to time.

“We’ll work together on things like that to make sure it’s communicated, and of course there are exceptions for any student who needs it for medical reasons or anything like that,” Trumier said.

She said the adjustments can already be made and most parents and students understand the need for guidelines. Trumier explained that this announcement will only bring those guidelines to the forefront.

“We have already put in place some policies, such as acceptable use, and we are currently reviewing those,” she said.

Trumier said the department received a document from the Department of Education on Thursday with guidelines for personal electronic devices, which it will review.

“We will see if there is a discrepancy between what we are already doing and what needs to be done,” she said.

School division procedures include exceptions for students who require ongoing use of mobile devices for medical or special learning reasons.

Saskatchewan Rivers Education Director Neil Finch said the department is still considering what to do with the current guidelines.

“We will review our current administrative processes and adjust them as necessary to ensure we are consistent with the new provincial guidance,” Finch wrote in an email to the Herald.

Finch wrote that this would be completed by the end of August.

School division procedures include exceptions for students who require ongoing use of mobile devices for medical or special learning reasons.

“Technology has its place, but all too often mobile phones distract students’ attention from what they should be learning,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a press release. “This new policy will enable students to be more engaged with their teachers and focus on learning the skills and knowledge they need to reach their potential.”

In grades 9 through 12, teachers may request a waiver from the school administration to allow students to use cell phones during class if it is necessary for a specific educational purpose.

With this announcement, Saskatchewan joins several other provinces that have initiatives to limit or restrict the use of internet-enabled devices in schools, which are expected to be implemented in fall 2024.

The matter was not on the agenda for the first meeting of the Catholic School Division Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 19, but Trumier said based on what was known so far, an item could be added the day of the meeting.

“We will prepare to work well with our school administrators, our teachers and our students. Our parents and students have always been open-minded about what needs to be done,” Trumier said.

“I think most people understand that there needs to be fewer distractions in the classroom. I think that’s a reasonable expectation that we should have of students so that the situation is not significantly different from what they are already experiencing,” she added.