Students planning new strike against cellphone ban across Quebec schools
Posted May 13, 2025 10:56 am.
Last Updated May 13, 2025 11:14 am.
Students across Quebec are reportedly planning a second day of strike against the new measure that will ban cellphones at elementary and secondary schools across the province starting next school year.
According to comments on TikTok, this new strike could reportedly mobilize more students than the previous one held last week.
“On Friday, May 23, everyone is striking,” said a voice over in a video shared on the social media platform with over 53,000 views. “We’re boycotting classes. No students, no school. We’ll see what they do!”
On May 9, demonstrations were lightly seen throughout the province — with some students seen gathered outside of their schools in the morning and again at lunch time.
According to multiple comments posted to TikTok, last Friday’s strike did not live up to their expectations.
“May 9, we tried to strike against this but I don’t know about you but in my school it really flopped,” the voice in the TikTok video said, with over 3,400 likes.
“Now we restart but this time all will be well structured,” the video added. “Everyone prepare posters, and we will go outside our schools.”
There are also at least two petitions — one already has more than 62,000 signatures — saying cell phones play an essential role in the daily lives of students because they provide quick and secure communication with their loved ones, and they allow for consulting grades, schedules, reminders and homework.
“I completely understand that they don’t want phones in the classroom,” the video added. “But why not on school grounds?”
Since January 2024, cell phones were already banned from classrooms.
The government’s new measure will extend this ban from the beginning to the end of classes. This includes during breaks and on school grounds.
Education Minister Bernard Drainville made the official announcement back on May 1st of this year.
