With the return of students to schools, there are a number of changes that will take place in classrooms in Ontario this fall. Here is a list of what to expect.

Mobile Phone Ban

Schools in Ontario will begin to crack down on the use of mobile phones in classrooms. Starting September, students from kindergarten to sixth grade will be required to keep their phones on silent and out of sight throughout the day, unless permitted by a teacher. Students in grades seven to twelve will have some additional flexibility with the mobile phone ban only during class time.

If a student violates the rules, their mobile phone must be immediately handed over to a staff member and parents will be notified. Students may also face suspension for repeated offenses.

Education Minister Jill Dunlop told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that enforcement is expected to be a "big issue," but added that there are existing disciplinary policies that will allow teachers to enforce the new policy.

She added, "Standards have been set and there are existing disciplinary policies, and we will support teachers and school principals in the actions they take." It will largely be up to individual school boards to determine the best way to implement the new rules.

As part of the new policy, social media sites will also be banned on all school networks and devices. Sharing and recording videos of individuals without explicit consent will also be prohibited, but it is unclear how this will be monitored or enforced.

Curriculum Changes

Students entering grade nine will need to earn a technological education credit in either grade nine or ten in order to graduate. This change comes after the government created a new digital technology course for grade ten last year to teach students "computational thinking" and cybersecurity.

The government will launch two new pilot courses for ninth and tenth-grade students. One titled "Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset," and the other titled "Launching and Leading a Business." Officials say they want to give students "real experience in starting and managing a business."

The Canadian geography courses for grade nine will not be divided between academic and applied classes. This was previously announced as part of the government's efforts to eliminate grade nine altogether.

The government previously announced it would review the grade ten curricula for career studies to include learning about mandatory mental health literacy. Mental health units were added to the health and physical education curricula for grades seven and eight in 2023.

Starting this year, the EQAO math test in grade nine will account for 10 percent or more of a student's final grade in math.

Changes Related to Vaping

The government plans to spend $30 million to install vaping detection devices and other security upgrades in schools. Students caught with vaping products or cigarettes on school premises starting in September will be required to hand them over, and parents will be notified immediately.