By Ethan Kapoor (’28)
“Win a no-win situation by rewriting the rules.” – Harvey Specter
Let me ask you something: if students can’t be trusted with phones in class, how are they supposed to be trusted with anything else in life? You want to teach responsibility? Start by giving them something to be responsible for. What we’re dealing with here isn’t a technology problem, but rather it’s a leadership one.
Some schools think the solution to distraction is simple: ban the phone, eliminate the issue. It’s neat, it’s clean, and it’s entirely short-sighted. That’s like putting duct tape over a leaking pipe and pretending it’s fixed. You didn’t solve the problem — you just stopped seeing it. Let’s look at both sides, and then I’ll tell you the only opinion that matters: mine.
The “Control Everything” Approach
There’s a reason this opinion is popular: it feels safe. It gives teachers more control, it simplifies rules, and it keeps the classroom quieter. I get it. Phones buzz, students text, someone tries to sneak a look at a meme during a lecture, and suddenly everyone’s off-task. That’s real.
Some research even backs it up. Studies have shown that when students don’t have their phones, test scores improve. That makes sense. Eliminate the distraction, and focus increases. Ban TikTok and maybe students stop trying to go viral during biology.
There’s also the security argument: stop cheating during tests, stop students from filming each other without consent, and reduce social pressure from social media. It’s all very… tidy. Too tidy. Because here’s the thing: if your only strategy is to remove the temptation, you’re not solving anything. You’re dodging it.
The “Welcome to the Real World” Approach
Now let’s step into reality. Phones aren’t going anywhere. You can’t ban your way out of the 21st century. And the last time I checked, success doesn’t come from hiding from technology, it comes from mastering it.
Phones can be game-changers when used right. Research tools, calculators, translators, cameras for capturing notes or whiteboards, reminders, accessibility apps, voice memos, and yes, communication when it matters. In a group project, having your phone is often faster and more efficient than the school’s laptops or tablets. So what are we really banning here — distraction or innovation?
Let’s talk emergencies. You think banning phones helps during a lockdown? Wrong. Phones have saved lives in real-world crisis situations. Take them away, and you take away a lifeline.
And for students with learning accommodations, phones are their lifeline. Timers, planners, focus apps, screen readers — these aren’t toys. They’re tools for equity. You remove them, and you don’t just ban distraction — you ban access.
It’s Not About the Phones
Here’s the uncomfortable truth no one wants to say: banning phones is lazy teaching. It’s the easy way out. It’s a policy for people who’d rather enforce silence than inspire discipline.
Real leadership doesn’t come from control. It comes from expectation. If you want students to focus, don’t just take their phones — give them a reason to pay attention. Raise the bar. Challenge them. Make the lesson matter.
Because let me tell you something, if I was to be teaching a class and someone’s scrolling TikTok, I’m not blaming the app. I’m asking why what I’m teaching didn’t hold their interest. That’s what accountability looks like.
You want your students to grow up? Then stop treating them like they’re one bad notification away from failure. Give them the responsibility, and hold them to it. That’s how you build character — and future CEOs.
My Verdict: Don’t Fear It.
The problem isn’t the phone. The problem is how it’s used. And the solution isn’t banning it — it’s managing it.
You don’t teach willpower by eliminating choice. You teach it by offering choice and expecting excellence. Phones should be allowed in class, but with boundaries:
- If it’s part of the assignment, use it.
- If it’s causing a distraction, put it away.
- If it crosses a line — academic dishonesty, disrespect, or privacy violations — then consequences follow. Simple.
Let teachers set the rules, not the fear. Let students make the choice, not have it taken away.
You can’t train leaders by locking their tools away in a drawer. You train them by letting them sharpen those tools and their judgment in the real world.
Hello,
Thank you for paying attention, being reflective and thinking about our school norms and cultural practices. It makes a difference. The “hands off approach” to digitial devices and the internet is fast proving to be fraught with challenges. The research is accumulating in regards to the negative consequences of continual distraction and the impact digital devices. For mental health, for social connection, for learning, for building people skills…phones are getting in the way. I’d love to have a conversation with you and hear more, as well as, explain to you why we have gone this direction. Come by at your leisure for a chat. It is not about covering for bad teaching or expressing control for controls sake.
Most sincerely,
Mr. P
From our Digital Distraction Policy…
Philosophy:
Our school will continue to be educationally innovative and globally inspired as we prepare students for the future. We will also be intentionally focussed and character-driven. The following guidelines are meant to strike a balance between all of these intentions. They are also meant to be developmentally appropriate for the learners in our care.
We value relationships and the joy that comes from being present with and for others. Talking, listening and appreciating each other’s company are essential to our development as social beings. Too often our children engage in parallel play with their devices. They are in each other’s physical space, but their attention is focussed on a screen taking their minds somewhere else. Ironically, their ability to connect with those far away prevents them from being present with those in their immediate surroundings.
The majority of educational uses for smartphones are replicated by laptop computers, which all of our students have. Because of this, for many of our teachers, smartphones provide little benefit to learning. They are, in fact, a significant distraction. With our youngest learners in particular, we find that monitoring smartphone usage is continual and exhausting. And while many students do use their devices at school to organize their schedule or to connect purposefully with friends and family, a good deal use them to shop online, browse social media, play video games and/or watch Youtube.
Our goals are to reduce distractions within the classroom, to signal the importance of face-to-face interaction and to open a space for students to be freed from lives of continual connectivity. If we open this space, we believe something more valuable will ensue, including calmer, better rested minds, more meaningful personal contact with others and increased concentration to aid learning.
Guidelines:
Communication Guidelines for Parents
We kindly request your support in limiting your communication with your child to before and after school hours or during lunch (12:15 to 1:00) wherever possible. Emergency calls can be placed to our office (604-222-8750). We will promptly relay the message to your child. If a student needs to contact a parent during break, we ask them to alert a teacher and then move to a discreet space to do so. This approach allows us to maintain a controlled and focused learning environment while ensuring that important communications are handled efficiently.