The Parti Québécois wants to ban cell phones everywhere in schools, not just in class. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is also calling for a parliamentary commission to look into screen time among children and the possibility of establishing a minimum age for access to social networks.
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“If François Legault does nothing, he will pay the price because it will be an electoral issue in 2026,” warns the PQ leader in an interview.
The CAQ must immediately ban smartphones from primary and secondary schools. Schoolchildren and adolescents should no longer be able to take refuge on their cell phones during breaks, recess or lunchtime. PSPP promises that a Parti Québécois government will put words into action.
He also calls for a parliamentary commission to be held quickly, starting in August, in order to be able to produce clear recommendations to present to Quebec parents to regulate the role of screens among young people.
Because time is running out. France commissioned a report and the findings are clear. A “clear scientific consensus” is emerging on “the harmful consequences of screens” on several aspects of the health of children and adolescents, in particular on sleep, sedentary lifestyle and vision.
Experts recommend in particular not exposing toddlers to screens before the age of three and not allowing access to social networks before the age of 15. The Macron government has given itself one month to come up with an action plan.
Digital majority
Pounded on this subject in the National Assembly last week, François Legault rejected the idea of a numerical majority and ridiculed the PQ leader’s questions. PSPP argued that in addition to France, Florida will prohibit those under 14 from opening an account on a social network.
According to him, Quebec is not forced to copy Florida or France in terms of digital majority, but must look into the problem and draw its own conclusions. “I think it’s going there everywhere in the world, but in terms of how, we have to study it because it’s still very innovative,” he specifies.
Health disaster
During the recent visit of the French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, to the National Assembly, Minister Bernard Drainville affirmed that Quebec is not ready to ban the use of cell phones in schools, as is the case in France since 2018.
Visiting a school in Quebec, the dignitary was very concerned about the overuse of screens among children. At L’Ancrage school, a brand new establishment, he noticed that all classes were equipped with digital boards. The principal had even praised the fact that the students of 5e and 6e year all had a Chromebook.
“It is a possible health and educational disaster that is before us because we have teachers, school teachers who tell us that, even in first grade [cours préparatoire]so at five or six years old, we have children who have difficulty concentrating,” the French PM then argued.
In Quebec, here are the guidelines for the use of screens*
- Under 2 years: No screen time is recommended.
- From 2 to 5 years: less than an hour per day.
- From 6 to 12 years old: maximum of two hours per day.
- From 13 to 19 years old: no specific duration, may vary depending on the type of content.
*These recommendations are taken from the Quebec government website
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