B.C. brings in 'bell to bell' school phone ban, as new access rules target protesters

Cellphone use will be restricted in all British Columbia school districts when pupils return next week, as the province becomes the latest to curtail the use of the devices in classrooms.

Premier David Eby says all school districts now have policies in place to ban cellphone use "bell to bell," in line with a government directive announced in April.

The province is also imposing "access zones" around schools allowing police to arrest or issue tickets to anyone found impeding access, disrupting educational activities, or attempting to intimidate an individual within 20 metres of school property.

The zones will be in effect on school days from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., and during extracurricular school activities at all public and independent schools.Eby says the government wants students to reach their full potential by restricting cellphones in classrooms and keeping harassing protesters away from school grounds.

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia all either have, or are in the process of creating, rules that restrict the use of cellphones by students.