Ontario is banning cell phones in classrooms, but here in B.C. there are no plans to do so.

Kamloops-Thompson School Board Chairperson Kathleen Karpuk says there are a number of reasons why a prohibition on phones wouldn’t work. “Why would we condemn students to using an out of date textbook when they have a device on their pocket where they can instantly look up the most current and relevant information?  “The ability to look up any piece of information that is out there on the internet with this device that’s in your pocket, versus a textbook that takes several years to publish and then is in circulation for multiple years, the information in the textbook is very much out of date.”

Karpuk says the ability to know when using your phone is appropriate is now an important skill to learn.