“We have heard loud and clear from parents and teachers alike that cellphones in classrooms are distracting kids from learning,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
Starting from kindergarten to grade 6, cellphone use has been ruled as strictly prohibited, must be kept on silent and out of sight for the entire duration of the school time, unless given permission by teachers. However, from grade 7 to grade 12, cellphones are restricted during normal class time, unless given permission by teachers. In addition, the government is tightening up in regards of students caught engaging in the use of vapes, cigarettes, and the like. Students caught in possession will have their products seized from them, and parents/guardians will be immediately notified of the situation. To assist in this, the government has officially announced a $30 million portion of the 2024 budget to fund in the installation of vape detectors among other security upgrades to be established in schools.