Skip to content
27th — Learning — Circulation — Politics — Lifelong-learning — Online-education — Adopting — Parliamentarians — Nutritional — Political — General-news

Pupils in the parliamentary arena voice their preferences, along with mobile matters, in their seating arrangements.

Primary school students participate in the 27th gathering of their mock parliament, known as the Junior Parliament.

,   and  Administrator
2 min read
Primary school students, gathered in The Junior Parliament, convened for their 27th meeting, a mock...
Primary school students, gathered in The Junior Parliament, convened for their 27th meeting, a mock parliamentary session.

Pupils in the parliamentary arena voice their preferences, along with mobile matters, in their seating arrangements.

New and Shiny Take:

Cell Phones Remain in Schoolbackpacks, Junior Parliament Ponders Change

Figuring out the ins and outs of governance isn't just for adults. Every year since 1997, the National Assembly invites 6th grade students for a two-day blast of political simulation – a.k.a the Junior Parliament. Recently, these young lawmakers got their hands dirty, discussing four proposed bills. However, one hot topic, the proposed cell phone ban, was nowhere to be found in this year's roundup. That's because it dropped like a bombershell after the Junior Parliament had already buckled down for debate.

A wide-eyed 12-year-old Parliament speaker, Xavier Turbide, voiced the concerns that echoed among his fellow "MPs." "What if there's an emergency? You're alone and can't move... Your cell phone, it's in your locker." Indeed, after all, cell phones have become quite the lifeline for many youngsters.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though. Stella Aubin, another 11-year-old, questioned the necessity of keeping phones in classrooms and was in support of the ban.

You might think that banning phones would have come up in the Senior Assembly's special committee on screens and young people's impact. Surprisingly, it didn't, as this Junior Parliament event had already been in the works.

For hours, the floor was a whirlwind of opinions, with one student challenging the pun intended, "drowning" in mandatory swimming lessons and another questioning the expense of motorcycle-only lanes.

Sneak Peek:

  • Stop Bullying: It's Time to Take a Stand (Coming March 17 to 21)
  • Shiny New Alliance: Canada and the EU Move Closer Together
  • Winter's Comeback: Up to 40cm of Snow predicted in Quebec starting Wednesday evening. Buckle up!
  1. Despite the absence of the proposed cell phone ban in this year's Junior Parliament discussions, the importance of addressing its implications in policy-and-legislation was clearly highlighted by Xavier Turbide, a 12-year-old parliamentarian.
  2. In contrast to Xavier, Stella Aubin, another junior parliamentarian, advocated for adopting a nutritional education-and-self-development policy, arguing that it might reduce the need for constant cell phone use during classroom hours.
  3. As the parliamentarians exchanged views on various matters, the question of online-education emerged, showing that lifelong-learning isn't exclusive to adults and can be expanded to general-news topics.
  4. Interestingly, the Senior Assembly's special committee on screens and young people's impact overlooked the issue of cell phone bans, possibly due to the ongoing work on the Junior Parliament event.
  5. The Junior Parliament, serving as a platform for young minds to explore policy-making, has proven to engage its participants in thoughtful debates on a range of topics, such as the circulation of cell phones and the merits of mandatory swimming lessons.
  6. As the debate over the role of cell phones in education continues, the 27th Junior Parliament lays the groundwork for fostering informed decisions about policy that impact their learning experiences while navigating through the complexities of politics.

Read also:

    Latest