The Ministry of Education's Policy And Program Memorandum Will Mean More Changes For Some Schools Than Others

by Bob Montgomery

Some schools will have to adjust more than others to the Education Ministry's Policy and Program Memorandum this year.

Assistant Principal of Student Support Services Kim Crawford says there will be changes in some schools but in others it will be an opportunity to reset and reinforce some practices that were already in place. She says there is definitely some variance from school to school and she believes this year's Policy and Program Memorandum will bring some consistency across all of their schools.

Crawford says the biggest changes will be around cell phones. Students in grade six and below are not allowed to have their cell phones during school hours. They are allowed to use their phones before and after school hours, but not during school hours. For students in grade seven and above, use of their cell phone is prohibited during instructional time unless the teacher allows them to use them for something like an interactive quiz or some type of classroom exercise, otherwise cell phones and all other mobile devices should be turned off and out of sight. She adds that all social media will be blocked on school wifi. Crawford also points out if the same rules are applied in all of the schools no one has to feel they're being left out of a conversation with some of their friends because the conversation isn't happening during schools hours. Crawford also says she believes removing all of those distractions will be very helpful for learning and she adds the government is providing some funding for students who might find it difficult to put their phone away for a while.

Crawford says the other part of the Ministry's Policy and Program Memorandum is aimed at vaping. She says a lot of people are not aware of how much vaping goes on because the equipment is purposely designed to be non-conspicuous so we often don't notice someone vaping. She believes the Policy and Program Memorandum and the supports that come with it will give the schools more control over vaping as well.