Cell phone ban: Schools prepare for student strike on Friday

High schools are preparing to respond to the student strike against the cell phone ban, which began on social media. The call is circulating among the teens, but the scale of their participation remains difficult to predict.

• Also read: Student strike against cell phone ban: “It’s no reason to miss school” - Bernard Drainville

"It's difficult to assess, but young people discuss it a lot among themselves in schools," says Nicolas Prévost, president of the Quebec Federation of Educational Institution Directors.

Over the past few days, several videos have circulated on the TikTok platform urging students from all high schools in the province to stay home on Friday to protest the cell phone ban announced for the 2025 school year.

On social media, several teenagers have indicated that they will not be in class on Friday, while others believe that this strike is excessive or even unnecessary.

The teenagers met by Le Journal near two Quebec City high schools on Thursday afternoon were all aware of this slogan, but very few thought they would participate.

"There are some who say they will do it, but I don't think it will be big," one teenager summed up.

Meetings with management

No matter how big the movement gets, schools are preparing to deal with it.

In the vast majority of school service centers, meetings have taken place on this subject with secondary school principals, indicate the associations that represent them.

"The instruction they have, for the most part, is that it's important to protect the safety of students. Classes will be open for those who want to attend," said Carl Ouellet, president of the Quebec Association of School Management Personnel.

In most schools, peaceful protests outside of school will be tolerated, including during school hours, as long as the teens participating do not prevent other students from getting to class, he adds.

Unexcused absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis, according to each school's code of conduct.

Parental collaboration required

Several school service centers have also sent a letter to parents on this subject in recent days, such as the Affluents school in Lanaudière, which is counting on their collaboration to remind their children of the importance of attending class "during this crucial end-of-year period."

After stating that young people have the right to express their opinions in a respectful manner, the general management clarified that no form of violence will be tolerated.

"We are working with the police to ensure everyone's safety," the letter read.

At Rochebelle High School in Quebec City, the administration informed parents that "students absent from class will not be allowed to attend the school's grounds."

For his part, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, asked disgruntled students not to boycott their classes in protest.

"I understand that there is a reaction, but now it's not a reason to miss school," he said on Thursday.

– With the collaboration of Geneviève Lajoie and Dominique Scali