Quebec's Mobile Device Ban in Schools (2025-2026): A Practical Guide for Family-School Communication

Since September 2025, students in Quebec schools can no longer take out their phones, earbuds, smartwatches, or personal tablets at any point during the school day. The ban comes from Arrêté ministériel 2025-08, issued by Quebec's Ministry of Education, and it has changed several long-standing classroom practices.

For teachers, one of the most affected practices is family communication. For years, it was common for a student to carry a note, a reminder, or even a voice message to their parents via their own phone. That informal channel no longer exists.

The question every school team now faces is simple: which channel will we use to reach families?

What exactly does Arrêté ministériel 2025-08 prohibit?

Arrêté ministériel 2025-08 was signed on August 25, 2025 by Quebec's Ministry of Education. It took effect for the 2025-2026 school year [Gazette officielle du Québec, July 2, 2025].

The personal devices banned from school grounds during the full school day are:

• Personal cellphones
• Earbuds and headphones
• Smartwatches
• Personal tablets

The ban applies to elementary and secondary students in both public and private schools across Quebec [Educaloi; Government of Quebec press release, 2025]. It covers class periods, recess, and lunch [Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM), FAQ cellphone ban].

The only exceptions are for students who require a device for medical reasons or due to a disability, with authorization from the school principal.

This measure follows the final report of the Special Commission on the Impact of Screens and Social Media on Youth Health and Development (CSESJ), tabled in May 2025 at the National Assembly of Quebec [CSESJ final report, May 2025]. The commission recommended a consistent, province-wide approach to limit personal device use in schools.

The Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) has published a detailed FAQ on implementation across its schools [CSSDM, FAQ cellphone ban]. Other CSSs have followed with their own application guidelines.

How can teachers communicate with families now?

This is the central question that Arrêté 2025-08 raises for school teams.

Before the ban, several informal practices were common: a teacher would ask a student to show a message on their phone to their parents that evening, or a student would photograph the whiteboard to share at home. These practices are no longer available.

Family-school communication must now go exclusively through channels managed directly by the teacher or the school, without involving the student's device.

Choosing a channel is not just about finding a practical app, though. Bill 25 (Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information) sets concrete requirements for all public bodies in Quebec, including schools.

In practice, any tool that collects or processes personal information, including parents' names, email addresses, or phone numbers, must appear in the centre de services scolaire (CSS) data processing registry, which CSSs are required to maintain under Bill 25. Before adopting a new tool, check with your CSS IT services to confirm it is already registered, or that a registration process is underway.

Consumer-grade tools designed for group messaging are not built to meet the personal information protection obligations that apply to school boards. Before using any tool not already on your CSS's registry, confirm its compliance with your CSS IT services.

The combination of Arrêté 2025-08 and Bill 25 creates a clear situation: before the September 2026 school year, every school team needs a family communication tool that meets two conditions:

1. It is managed by the teacher, without relying on the student's device.
2. It appears in the CSS's Bill 25 data processing registry, or a registration process is underway.

LinoClass was designed to meet both requirements. Teachers send updates directly to families from their own dashboard. Parents can reply to the teacher without the student being involved in the exchange. The platform is built for Quebec school requirements, including Bill 25 compliance.

Before September 2026: the platform decision cannot wait

The 2026-2027 school year begins in September 2026. For a tool to be approved and registered in a CSS's Bill 25 registry before that date, the process needs to start now.

Getting a digital tool approved in a CSS typically involves several steps: evaluation by IT services, Bill 25 compliance analysis, management approval, and registration in the registry. This process can take several months.

CSSs that have not yet identified their family communication tool are entering a critical period. Here are the steps to prioritize:

Step 1: Identify the tool. Choose a family communication platform that fits the school team's needs: regular updates, urgent notices, and family replies.

Step 2: Confirm compliance. Check with the school principal and CSS IT services that the chosen tool is registered, or can be registered, in the Bill 25 data processing registry.

Step 3: Inform families before the school year begins. Once the tool is confirmed, communicate to families the official channel that will be used for all teacher communications.

Waiting until September 2026 to start this process means arriving at the new school year without a compliant solution.

The day-to-day impact on teaching practice

Arrêté 2025-08 changes more than family communication. Here are other concrete situations that are affected.

Documents and assignments. Students can no longer photograph the whiteboard with their phones to review at home. Teachers must provide materials in digital format through an authorized school platform, or distribute printed copies in class.

Emergency communication. In an emergency, students cannot contact their parents directly by phone from school. The school must have an emergency communication protocol that does not rely on the student's personal device.

Last-minute reminders. Reminders to families ("bring your theatre costume on Friday," "the field trip is postponed because of the weather") can no longer go through the student. The teacher must send these notices directly to parents.

In-class digital activities. The order targets students' personal devices. Tablets and devices provided by the school for educational activities fall under separate rules that vary by CSS.

LinoClass and Bill 25 compliance

Choosing a family communication platform now means answering specific questions:

• Is the platform registered in your CSS's data processing registry?
• Is family data hosted in Canada?
• Does the teacher control who can see and reply to messages?

LinoClass was designed to answer yes to all three. To learn more about the features available for your class, visit the features page.