(File photo/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Horizon SD

Horizon SD Director of Education ‘not shocked’ about cellphone edict

Aug 14, 2024 | 3:43 PM

A local school division’s director of education wasn’t surprised at the government’s announcement that cellphones won’t be permitted during class time during the upcoming school year.

Horizon School Division Director of Education Kevin Garinger told northeastNOW the issue had been brought up previously in the division.

He said they have been looking at the effect screen time has on children and youth.

“It was something that we saw happening in our schools somewhat that we were having and supporting policies that were at the school level and it was certainly in discussion,” Garinger said.

The government’s announcement wasn’t a shock, according to Garinger, considering the trends and lawsuits against social media organizations in both Canada and the United States. Garinger said similar government policies in other provinces also indicated that the change was likely inevitable.

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“Cellphones can be a distraction; they can be something that can be…challenging for staff to manage and that’s why there were policies in schools within classrooms.”

Garinger said they’re in the final stages of establishing an administrative procedure (AP) that will help support schools and make sure they know exactly how to manage the issue going forward. He added that technology is not going anywhere, and a cellphone policy will help establish how and when that technology is used.

“I think a policy like this does just that. It allows us to really make sure that there’s a focus on meeting learning needs in whatever that needs to look like; if it involves technology then by all means, we’ve got great technology within Horizon School Division.”

Garinger believes a set policy will help reduce the distraction aspect to things like cellphones and smart watches. He said there are also safety concerns with social media, along with potential addiction issues with gaming apps.

“I think (the new policy) will only help to enhance the focus that we have within the classrooms across Horizon and for that matter across the province and beyond.”

Part of the division’s administrative procedure mentions the need for administrators to engage with School Community Councils (SCCs) regarding the new policy. A meeting with school principals will take place next week, along with a regular board meeting. Garinger said they’ll look to finalize their administrative procedure soon after those meetings, and administrators will then take it back to staff and SCCs for their feedback.

“The great thing about APs is that you can put them in place and make adjustments to them if necessary,” said Garinger.

The AP in its tentative form will go out by the first day of school and Garinger said they hope to have the policy finalized by mid-September.

“We’re hoping that we’ve landed on something really strong that will help support our folks and our children and youth in a good way,” Garinger said. “That’s certainly been our intention as we’ve been dealing with it moving forward here.”

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK