That’s it. After weeks of strikes for some, and vacations for all, it’s the big return to school in Quebec. A return to school marked by adjustment… and without cell phones!
Published at 1:30 a.m. Updated at 5:00 a.m.
It’s an extraordinary start to the school year which begins – with an educational day for most – in primary and secondary schools in Quebec, this Monday. From Tuesday, thousands of students will return to class. Some for the first time since the end of November. Others, without a single day missed in the month of December.
“We get back into the rhythm, time for work and time to take a break. We find a balance,” summarizes Nathalie Trépanier, professor at the faculty of education at the University of Montreal.
Like many, the one who specializes in special education and remedial education is concerned about the imbalance of this return to class.
It’s a very uneven return to school: there are students who have missed a lot of class time and others, almost none.
Nathalie Trépanier, professor at the faculty of education at the University of Montreal
The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, will present his catch-up plan on Tuesday for students who missed 24 days of school due to the strike. For Ms. Trépanier, adjustments to the school calendar could further accentuate inequalities. This would particularly be the case if the school calendar was extended, or if the time for dinner was shortened, for example.
In his opinion, priority must go to students who have Ministry exams to take soon. “They’re the ones we need to watch out for. The others will be able to catch up,” believes the specialist.
Cell phones now banned
Another new feature this school year: the ban, since December 31, on cell phones in classes.
Another adjustment which will vary from one school to another, and even from one class to another, notes Stéphane Villeneuve, expert in digital integration in schools and professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM ).
“There will already be the adjustment of the calendar, of all the material that was missed and which will have to be taken up. And there, we add a small layer for the cell phone ban. Because in some schools, there are already defined rules, but in others, less,” he observes.
In his opinion, this ban is legitimate and could even be further extended, for example by forcing students to leave their cell phones in their lockers.
We know that focusing on a single task is much more favorable for learning. So to receive a text [par exemple]the phone vibrates in your pocket, it automatically becomes multitasking.
Stéphane Villeneuve, expert in digital integration in schools
However, the strike days did not necessarily allow us to prepare for this transition. “It probably didn’t help to put in place clear rules, so these are things that will develop over time,” he believes. But in general, the rules must be clear and strict. »
If the transition is abrupt, some students who are more dependent on their phones could experience difficulties, the specialist also recalls. “It would be good to offer support for students who are anxious about not having a phone with them, through workshops or activities,” he notes. Especially in schools where it was more lax. And eventually, young people will get used to it. »
Useful in class
Nathalie Trépanier considers that the use of cell phones in class is a false problem and that the ministerial ban is the equivalent of “using a bazooka to kill a fly”.
The presence of cell phones at school is more a matter of class management, according to her. “The cell phone, like the computer, can be a good learning tool,” she says. It depends on the use and the educational objective. »
I wonder how the Ministry is going to check that there are no cell phones in classes.
Nathalie Trépanier, professor at the faculty of education at the University of Montreal
In Ontario, teachers’ unions deplore the fact that the ban imposed by the province in 2019 is not respected and that cell phones are regularly present in classrooms, indicated La Presse Canadienne at the end of December.
The school world cannot in fact ignore this technology, Mr. Villeneuve also recognizes. “You don’t necessarily have to forget your cell phone – sometimes it’s good to have access to it. School must be in touch with reality, with everything relating to digital hygiene. We need to talk about how to use technology and screen time well,” he adds.
In any case, easy or difficult return to school, the majority of students will be happy to return to their routine, their class, their classmates and their teachers, estimate the two researchers.
“The school is a safe place,” emphasizes Ms. Trépanier. Afterwards, how it will go in class, it will depend [de beaucoup de facteurs]. »
2024-01-08 10:31:44
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