Hanover School Division restricts internet access on student laptops to encourage better sleep habits
CBC
Hanover School Division has restricted nighttime internet access on the laptops its students take home, in a move the southeastern Manitoba division says is meant to encourage healthier sleep habits.
Internet access on school-issued student Chromebooks will be restricted between midnight and 6 a.m. each day. Access to the Google suite, which features tools like Google Docs, is still available during that window, but all other internet usage will be shut down, the division said in a letter to parents.
The division had "noticed that some students are using their Chromebooks late into the night," according to the letter.
"Research is very clear that strong sleep habits is a key part of success in school," said Marlin Adrian, an assistant superintendent for the division. "Since these devices are for learning, we felt it was appropriate to set overnight boundaries that support this."
The move came into effect on Tuesday, coinciding with the first day of the new semester.
Adrian says the response from parents has been positive so far, but the division is open to feedback.
"Our intent is not to monitor and tell students what they can and can’t do on their own devices, but it’s to recognize that these devices are for education," Adrian said.
Steinbach Regional Secondary School Grade 11 student Tylor Lewis, 16, mostly uses the school-issued Chromebook for completing assignments and studying after the school day is done.
She doesn't think the restrictions will have much impact on her sleep schedule, since she's usually asleep by 11 p.m. or midnight, though she said she might stay up later if she needs more study time.
Many classmates do complain of being tired at school, said Lewis, but she doesn’t think that’s related to using their school laptops late into the night.
"I feel like a lot of that is due to their own personal lives and not due to school-related things — like, people are out with friends or watching movies or whatever," she said Wednesday.
Lewis isn’t yet sure how much the restrictions will affect her ability to get work done at home.
She also wonders if it will have much effect on her classmates' sleeping habits.
"People have their own devices," Lewis said. "They’re going to stay up and use something else."
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