TDSB green lights development of new cell phone policy for students

Canada’s largest school board is moving ahead with the development of a new cell phone policy for students.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees approved the new policy at Wednesday night’s board meeting, saying revised rules will aim to strike a better balance between the educational use of phones and enabling students to stay focused in class.

“Staff will now create a policy development plan that will outline next steps including timelines and opportunities for students, staff and families to provide feedback as part of an extensive public consultation process,” reads a TDSB release. “More information on this process will be shared as soon as it is confirmed.”

TDSB Chair Rachel Chernos Lin filed a motion to develop a new policy last month and told CityNews at the time she was seeking clarity on the contentious topic of cell phone use in classrooms. The motion passed by a vote of 7-1.

Chernos Lin has said the ambiguity over cell phone policy had led to problematic usage by students to the detriment of their educations and mental health.

“The real work begins now,” Chernos Lin says in a statement. “If we get this right, this policy has the potential to have truly monumental impacts on student learning, well-being, and student achievement.”

The TDSB banned cell phones in 2007 but reversed the decision in 2011 over concerns about equity because some students couldn’t afford laptops and needed their phones to access the internet.