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TORONTO — Cellphones will be banned in Ontario classrooms during instructional time, starting in September — news that some suggest is meant to distract from ongoing criticism over autism funding.

Education Minister Lisa Thompson said in a statement Tuesday that a formal announcement is coming soon.

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“Ontario’s students need to be able to focus on their learning — not their cellphones,” she wrote. “By banning cellphone use that distracts from learning, we are helping students to focus on acquiring the foundational skills they need like reading, writing and math.”

Some schools already have similar policies, but the province will issue a directive to all public schools for the 2019-20 school year, government sources told The Canadian Press. How to enforce the ban would be up to individual boards and schools.

Exceptions would be made for when teachers want to use cellphones as part of their lesson, for medical reasons and students with special needs.