COLUMN: View from the Legislature – Local education trend draws attention

Editor’s note: This column was written before the Aug. 15 provincial announcement banning cell phones in the classroom.

As we reach the mid point of August, it is natural for parents of school age children to begin thinking about and planning for the return of school in September. While this may not be welcome news to all young people, summer, like all good things, does eventually end.

As school approaches it has been notable that provinces to the west of us have been implementing restrictions on the use of cell phones in classrooms. Recently Saskatchewan implemented a ban on cell phones except in special circumstances and where the electronic device is being used as part of class instruction. This follows the recent announcement by the Hanover School Division to restrict cell phone use in classrooms at the K-8 levels. Local school officials and trustees should be applauded for taking this initiative. Manitoba’s NDP government said recently that it would bring forward a cell phone policy for schools, likely this week.

Parents generally have expressed strong support for these restrictions. Many argue that cell phones are an unnecessary distraction in the classroom. Others have indicated that where there is a mandated break from electronic devices, they see an improvement in mental health. Manitoba Progressive Conservatives support restricting the use of cell phones in classrooms and would like to see a consistent policy across Manitoba as is happening in other provinces in Canada. In fact, this is not a new discussion. It is an issue that was being considered previously by schools and administrators, although during the pandemic this was not a key priority as education officials focused on keeping schools open and safe.

But it seems clear that removing this distraction from the classroom environment would have benefits for both students and staff and a consistent province wide policy would bring clarity for the education system. For the students and staff of Hanover, it is positive that officials have been in front of this issue.

Another local education issue caught some attention this week as well. New homeschooling statistics indicate that the number of youths homeschooled in Manitoba grew by 10 percent last year. The southeast region of the province has one of the highest proportions of homeschooled children. This is added to by the growing number of students attending independent schools.

I have always, including during my time as Education Minister, supported the right of parents to be able to choose independent schools or homeschooling as an option for their children. These are choices that parents should have the right to make. But it should not be a choice that they feel they are forced to make.

With the growing number of families choosing to opt out of the public education system, it calls into question whether these choices are being made because of a desire to seek alternative delivery of education or because these parents have concerns about the public education system itself. These would be legitimate questions for education officials to seek answers to. If in fact there is a growing loss of confidence or trust in the public education system for whatever reasons, it would be something that policy makers would be wise to understand and to consider.