https://www.westerninvestor.com/national-business/bc-brings-in-bell-to-bell-school-phone-ban-as-new-access-rules-target-protesters-9441611 * Skip to content x Western Investor * Join Our Newsletter Sign in or register for your free account * Your Profile * Your Subscriptions * * Payment History * * Sign Out Registered Users Already have an account? Sign In New Users Create a free account. Register * Sign up for Daily Headlines * Contact Us * Home * News + Opinion + British Columbia + Alberta + Saskatchewan-Manitoba + Multi-Family + Finance + Franchises * Done Deals + Submit a Done Deal * Business Wire * Where to Invest * Special Features * Connect + Contact Us + Newsletter + Advertise with us + Subscribe * Digital Edition Search Type (*) Site Search [ ] 1. Home 2. National Business B.C. brings in 'bell-to-bell' school phone ban, as new access rules target protesters VANCOUVER -- Cellphone use will be restricted in all British Columbia school districts when pupils return next week, as the province becomes the latest to curtail the use of the devices by students. Canadian Press Aug 27, 2024 1:54 PM * Share by Email * Share on Facebook * Share on X * Share on LinkedIn * Print * Share via Text Message 0b2c111a9b6b0a29e68d1b88683679ae4d1226cb73ccbf50323c613eca8aeca2B.C. Premier David Eby responds to questions during a news conference outside Douglas College in Coquitlam, B.C., on July 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER -- Cellphone use will be restricted in all British Columbia school districts when pupils return next week, as the province becomes the latest to curtail the use of the devices by students. Premier David Eby says all school districts now have policies in place to ban cellphone use "bell-to-bell," in line with a government directive announced in April. Eby said Tuesday that how the rules are implemented will vary between school boards "but the bottom line is that the phones are not going to be out in the classroom." "They're not going to be out in the hallways, not going to be out in the schoolyards. It's a bell-to-bell restriction on cellphones, recognizing that there are some kids with disabilities that may require access to a phone for an accommodation of some kind," he said. The premier said the aim of the ban is to make sure students can learn and develop relationships without a phone, and remove the peer pressure that can come when students have phones. "We know that beyond just the impact on socialization, kids having access to apps with algorithms that feed them constantly, more enticing, more extreme content has an impact on their health," he said. The province is also imposing "access zones" around schools allowing police to arrest or issue tickets to anyone found impeding access, disrupting educational activities, or attempting to intimidate an individual within 20 metres of school property. The law was tabled in April, at a time when the premier said most of the protests involved demonstrators angry about the sexual orientation and gender identity education being taught in schools. Eby said on Tuesday that B.C. has seen 20 protests that were disruptive to schools, including one case where adults were pounding on school windows and another where individual students and teachers were targeted and made to feel unsafe. "We need to make sure that our schools are safe places to learn for kids, and we're doing that," he said. The zones will be in effect on school days from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., and during extracurricular school activities at all public and independent schools. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia all either have, or are in the process of creating, rules that restrict the use of cellphones by students. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024 The Canadian Press --------------------------------------------------------------------- * See a typo/mistake? * Have a story/tip? --------------------------------------------------------------------- This has been shared 0 times * 0 Shares * Share by Email * Share on Facebook * Share on X * Share on LinkedIn * Print * Share via Text Message --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get your daily Vancouver news briefing Email [ ] Sign Up --------------------------------------------------------------------- More National Business Calgary water use outpaces cap on first full day of new restrictions Calgary water use outpaces cap on first full day of new restrictions Aug 27, 2024 3:26 PM Stock market today: Dow Jones Industrial Average inches up to another record high in mixed trading Stock market today: Dow Jones Industrial Average inches up to another record high in mixed trading Aug 27, 2024 2:52 PM In history of Canadian rail shutdowns, echoes of some current sticking points In history of Canadian rail shutdowns, echoes of some current sticking points Aug 27, 2024 2:16 PM * * * * News + Opinion + British Columbia + Alberta + Saskatchewan-Manitoba + Multi-Family + Finance + Franchises * Done Deals + Submit a Done Deal * Business Wire * Where to Invest * Special Features * Connect + Contact Us + Newsletter + Advertise with us + Subscribe * Digital Edition About * Advertising * About Us * Privacy Policy * Terms of Service * Contact Us * Political Ads Registry Glacier Media Group Visit our network of sites: * Bowen Island Undercurrent * Burnaby Now * Business in Vancouver * Castanet * Coast Reporter * Delta Optimist * Lethbridge Herald * Medicine Hat News * Moose Jaw Today * New West Record * North Shore News * Pique Newsmagazine * Powell River Peak * Prince George Citizen * REW.ca * Richmond News * SaskToday.ca * Squamish Chief * The Orca * Times Colonist * TriCity News * Vancouver is Awesome * Western Investor * Airdrie Today * Cochrane Today * Lakeland Today * Mountain View Today * Okotoks Today * Rocky Mountain Outlook * St. Albert Gazette * Town and Country Today (c) 2024 Western Investor * *