The Minister of Education in Quebec is now studying a ban on mobile phones everywhere in schools, not just in classrooms, as is currently the case.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville said: “We banned mobile phones in classrooms, do we need to go further? He added: “We are thinking about it."

This represents a shift in the minister's rhetoric, as for some time he has been under pressure from the Parti Québécois (PQ), which calls for the adoption of several new measures to reduce the time young people spend in front of screens.

According to the PQ, the government's guiding principle in this regard is the need to remove phone screens from school as much as possible.

The opposition party believes it is essential to remove mobile phones from elementary and secondary schools, including during breaks, as has been the case in France since 2018.

P Paul St-Pierre Plamondon stated in a press release on Tuesday that Quebec schools need to set an example for our youth, and our young people need to return to non-virtual communication when they are in school, which clearly includes during breaks.

The government directive banning the use of cell phones in the classroom went into effect after the last holiday season, prohibiting the use of cell phones in classrooms in primary and secondary schools, except for specific educational purposes at the teacher's request.

However, the PQ believes that more still needs to be done. It argues that failing to recognize the urgent need to act is a mistake" and emphasizes that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is slow on this issue.