CALGARY — Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the province is moving to ban cellphones in kindergarten to Grade 12 classrooms starting in the fall.

Nicolaides says cellphones help with learning but can also be a distraction and lead to cyberbullying.

He says there will be exceptions for students who use phones for health needs, such as monitoring blood sugar levels.

Otherwise, personal devices must be turned off and stored out of sight during class time.

Alberta had allowed school boards to set a patchwork of cellphone rules amid mounting concern from teachers and parents that the devices were disrupting learning.

Alberta follows the lead of Quebec, Ontario and B.C., where governments have announced or implemented cellphone restrictions in schools.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press