Phones Down, Heads up: The Duality of Saskatchewan Schools’ Cell Phone Ban
For the last 16 years, I’ve worked for the same small Catholic school division, and during that time, I can’t recall its elementary schools not having a strict cell phone policy. Even before the recent Saskatchewan cell phone ban, my division strictly enforced the same policy: One strike, warning; two strikes, office for the day; three strikes, parents must come to the office. No student ever wants to get to the third strike, but it’s happened a few times over the years.
For my division, the Saskatchewan-wide cell phone ban – while nothing new – sparked fresh conversations in our staff rooms about technology, education, student and teacher autonomy, and digital literacy. Candidly, I prefer the new political scapegoat; it’s convenient to say, “Oh sorry, the government says no phones.” But on the other hand, I’ve spent so many years advocating for teacher autonomy, digital access, and online literacy… something doesn’t sit quite right just now.
The question was raised in our EC&I 831 class, and it bears repeating:
Is this ban addressing the real issues or merely postponing them?
Go Straight to Cell Phone Jail. Picture provided by Stockpack.
To Ban or Not to Ban?
As a notorious fence-sitter, I can empathize with the nuanced argument for and against the ban…
There’s always two sides, but can a middle ground be found? Created using Canva.com
The Case for the Ban: What Can We Gain?
In the staff room and our EC&I 831 breakout room, the general educator consensus trends toward approving of the cell phone ban. The sounds of human connection – chatter, laughter, collaboration, (even disagreements) – make schools sound more like…well, schools. There’s an innate – perhaps old-school – part of me that prefers hearing two students bickering than the eerie digital zombification of our students TikTok scrolling. The high school teachers in my division report that, overall, students are thriving with increased cell phone limitations. Between classes, the hallways ring with quick catch-ups rather than social media silence. Students are communicating face-to-face, and that skill has positively transferred to classroom group-work and presentations. According to the colleagues I spoke with, without constant rings and pings, students seem more able to shift their attention to their (in person) peers, teachers, and classwork. Perhaps, if I had interviewed some of my former students – now in high school – the response would have been different… but I’ll get to that in a bit.
Hey kids, what do you think of the ban? The Tonight Show GIF provided by Giphy.com
Of course, these results are as fresh as the ban; the data still trickling in. In an attempt to defend the cell phone ban, I began to research other countries with more experience and, hopefully, more data. Then, BINGO! Since 2020, there’s been a statewide school cell phone ban in Victoria, Australia, over time creating a domino effect across other Australian states. According to the NSW Department of Educations Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluations 2024 survey, 95% of schools continued to support the ban.
The findings also showed:
- An 81% improvement in student learning
- 87% decrease in student distraction (as observed by school principals)
- 86% improvement in student socialization (again, as observed by school principals)
And while these findings are overwhelmingly positive, corroborating my personal preferences and the information I received from my high school colleagues, the truth remains… I can cherry-pick information from the internet to defend any stance. The majority of the data I found was much more nuanced, muddied by the individuality of human experience and school implementation.
The Case Against the Ban: What Do We Lose?
“Digital literacy . . . includes knowing what information is safe to share online, how to spot disinformation on the internet, and how digital skills can be used to improve one’s life. This information needs to be taught, which is why . . . [it] requires closing the knowledge gap by educating people on digital literacy” (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2025).
Human Interaction and Digital Wisdom: Middle-Ground, Are You There?
At the centre of this debate remains two essential goals near and dear to my educator and parent heart: Human connection and digital preparedness. On one hand, I love seeing my students and two children engage with each other, collaborating and socializing separate from a screen. BUT – and it’s a big one – I also know we need to prepare the next generation (Alpha and beyond) for their technology-dominate futures. Instead of outright bans – which we all know never work (Hello prohibition era!) – can we find that ever elusive middle-ground? What happened to student and educator autonomy? Because I know that if I feel outraged and diminished by my division telling me I have to keep my cellphone always out of sight, my students feelings match or exceed my own.
Nothing to see here! The Simpsons GIF provided by Giphy.com
Final Thoughts: Heads Up, Tech in Check
Pretty sure the Saskatchewan Government isn’t asking for my opinion or reading my blog anytime soon… and that’s half the problem. As educators (and some of us – parents) our opinions should count in this ban. The research remains scant and divided, but most experts agree that a more nuanced approach with greater stakeholder input is required. Banning phones is a short-term solution to a long-term challenge; out of sight, but not out of mind. Enforcing the policy has become easier, but tackling the digital divide and digital literacy more complicated in our under rugs swept classrooms.
I have to ask myself – am I preparing my students for their digital futures, or just making my day easier? Not my circus, not my monkeys? Am I teaching them how to balance their tech use with their humanity, or dusting my hands of these scraped lesson plans? Does the tech use in my classroom create equitable systems for all of my students, or only the privileged ones?
POINTS TO PONDER
- As educators, how can we foster human connection and digital literacy in our classrooms, without one overpowering the other?
- What role do you believe educators and schools should play in teaching students balanced tech use, especially considering how this balance varies at home? What support do you think the Saskatchewan Government (or any government) should provide in this tech education? What about tech companies?
- Do you believe that cell phone bans in school affect equity and inclusion for our students, particularly digitally disenfranchesizes groups?
Hi Kim
Thanks for the beautiful and well-written post. Both stances of the argument are true; however, I also believe a complete ban on phones in schools could hinder the vision of digital literacy and citizenship. I believe that teachers should be given autonomy on phone use in school, which, of course, must be in line with some policies on when students should use them and the duration of use in the school environment. More important is the need for teachers and schools to teach students how to use social media and other related technology positively and appropriately. So, if phones are banned, how will this be practically achieved?
There might be students who learn better with digital tools; banning cell phones could affect their learning. And we have students who do not have access to mobile phones at home. The cell phone ban could also be to their advantage. So, looking at the issue of equity and inclusion of students when it comes to cell phone bans can be viewed from various perspectives.
Hi Ayodele, thank you for your kind words and additional thoughts on my post. Yes, banning phones outright creates more potential problems and hinders future opportunities for teaching digital literacy and citizenship. I appreciate your idea that teacher and student autonomy on this issue should be grounded in written policy – something currently lacking.
As well, your equity perspective aligns with my concerns. How do we ensure students who rely on phones or lack access at home are not further disadvantaged by this ban? We agree that a more nuanced perspective is needed on this issue than the current blanket policies laid out by the Sask Government.
Kimberly, your post about the Saskatchewan cell phone ban brings up some incredibly important and nuanced points that I think resonate with many educators and parents navigating this issue. I appreciate how you balance the discussion, highlighting both the potential benefits and challenges of the ban.
I definitely see the merit in the argument that the ban helps students reconnect face-to-face, fostering communication skills and reducing distractions. It’s interesting to hear about your colleagues’ positive experiences, especially the reports of students being more present and engaged in both group work and class activities. The shift away from digital distractions does seem to offer a temporary reprieve from the constant pull of social media, and the research you found from Australia shows that it could have long-term benefits in terms of learning and socialization.
However, like you, I have serious concerns about the long-term implications of such bans. The digital world isn’t going away, and banning phones outright doesn’t address the underlying issue: digital literacy. As you mentioned, students need to be equipped with the skills to navigate technology safely and responsibly. They need guidance on how to use their devices for productivity, critical thinking, and social engagement, not just mindless scrolling. If we’re not teaching them how to balance technology with their humanity, then we risk raising a generation that’s unprepared for the complex digital world they’ll face beyond school.
The equity issue you touched on is also huge. Students who rely on their phones as their primary source of internet access or learning tools are at a distinct disadvantage with this ban. It risks widening the digital divide, leaving the already disadvantaged even further behind. I agree that the focus should be on how to teach responsible phone use, not just taking the easy route of banning them altogether.
I think your call for a more nuanced approach is right on. We need to think about how we integrate digital literacy into our classrooms and how we empower students, teachers, and parents to foster healthy tech habits. The government and schools must take responsibility for providing the support and resources needed to make this happen, and tech companies should be part of the conversation too.
Ultimately, this issue isn’t about whether to ban phones, but how to help students learn to use them wisely, in ways that will benefit their education and well-being. I’m with you—let’s address the underlying challenges head-on and equip students for their digital futures, rather than just sweeping the problem under the rug.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kimberly. You’ve sparked some great reflection on the balance we need to strike between human connection and digital preparedness.
Karissa 🙂
Hi Karissa,
Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful response. You have definitely captured so many key issues regarding this ban, and I appreciate how you’ve expanded on the points I raised.
Your equity argument is particularly important to me. While I would love to help students use their cell phones ethically and purposefully in class, the ban prevents this. To bridge the digital divide differently, I teach these lessons using my class laptops and tablets (something I realize not every classroom/school is privileged with). I continue to wonder, though, how we can push the SK government to address these digital disparities more proactively.
Thanks again for such a thoughtful response – I hope that educator conversations like these help us strike that nuanced balance we both are working toward.