Despite ban, cellphones ring in schools

CHANDIGARH: The alarm bell rung by Central Board of Secondary Education with its recent advisory on doing away with mobile phones from schools also seems to have fallen on deaf ears like the call for a complete ban on their use by UT education department in February this year.
According to a circular issued on July 29, the CBSE has recommended that students be convinced about not carrying cellphones to school.But how much effect this will have on authorities remains to be seen because, despite UT imposing a blanket ban, students continue to flaunt their sets and use them in school.
Stating that lack of specific instructions from education department made it difficult for them to enforce the ban strictly, a government school principal said, ���No set guidelines, mentioning the course of action to be taken if a student is found with a mobile phone, have been issued. We generally confiscate the set and call parents of the student found carrying one.���
Where government schools seem to have failed, private institutes claim to be implementing the ban in toto, though with some leeway when necessary. Principal of Ryan International School, Poonam Sharma, said, ���We allow only those students to carry mobile phones who bring letters from their parents requesting for the same because of genuine reasons. Children, however, deposit their sets before entering classrooms and collect them only at the end of school hours.���
With no stringent rule in place, many students can be seen outsmarting authorities by cleverly concealing their phones under the desks, in pockets and bags. According to DPI (S) Samvartak Singh, ���Though the use of mobile phone is banned during school hours, if need arises students can bring the same on their own responsibility.���
Citing issues like distraction, lack of concentration, anxiety, fear and, at times, even misuse of mobile phones as in the case of MMS clips, CBSE���s circular points out that all stakeholders connected with school education including students, parents, teachers and heads of institutions should arrive at a consensus on the use of mobile phones. ���Even if mobiles are in silent mode, they can be a source of disturbance as students can make use of short messaging service during class or an assignment,��� it added.