The Delhi High Court recently said a complete ban on the use of smartphones by school students was an “undesirable and unworkable” approach and it should be regulated and monitored.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani then issued guidelines that would serve as guiding principles to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones by school students.
The court said schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital manners and the ethical use of smartphones.
The students, the court said, must also be counselled that high levels of screen-time and social media engagement could lead to anxiety, diminished attention spans and cyber-bullying.
“Much has changed in the past years as regards the use of technology, including for educational and other related purposes…therefore, a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach,” the judge said in an order passed on February 28.
The court said aside from the harmful effects of the indiscriminate use or misuse of smartphones, these devices served salutary purposes, including help in coordination between parents and children and ensuring their safety and security.
“As a matter of policy students should not be barred from carrying smartphones to school but the use of smartphones in school must be regulated and monitored,” it said.
The court said wherever it was possible to make arrangements for safekeeping of smartphones, students should be required to deposit their devices upon entering schools and retrieve it upon their return home.
“Smartphones must not disrupt classroom teaching, discipline, or the overall educational atmosphere. To this end, the use of smartphones in class must be prohibited. Use of cameras and recording facility on smartphones should also be barred in the common areas of the school as well as in school vehicles,” it said.
The policy should permit use of smartphones for connectivity for purposes of safety and co-ordination but disallow the use of smartphones for entertainment or recreational use, the court added.
The court said the policy on regulating and monitoring the use of smartphones in school should be made in consultation with parents, educators and experts to evolve a balanced approach to mitigate concerns of all parties.
The policy should establish transparent, fair and enforceable consequences for violation of the rules for use of smartphones in school, ensuring consistent application without being excessively harsh, it said.
Any violation, as per court, could include confiscation of smartphones for a certain time-period or barring a student from carrying the device for a specified number of days, as a measure of disciplining an errant student.
Given the fast-paced advancement of technology, the court said, the policy should be regularly reviewed and revised to tackle emerging challenges.
The judge directed a copy of the order to be “expeditiously” sent to the chairman of Central Board of Secondary Education, the director of Delhi government’s Directorate of Education and the Commissioner of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.
The matter before it concerned a minor student who faced consequences for allegedly misusing a smartphone in school.
The plea was filed by the child studying in a Kendriya Vidyalaya school.
Though certain guidelines on the issue were made by the CBSE and the KVS in 2009, the court observed the desired result wasn’t achieved.
