
Mobile admitted to school with call bar

The Ashok Hall Group of Schools, comprising Ashok Hall Girls' Higher Secondary School, GD Birla Centre for Education and Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar, has taken the leap of faith in the face of a worldwide trend of barring mobile phones from school campuses.
"In view of the growing need of mobile phones in the present times, the school management has decided to allow students to carry their mobile phones to school," says a notice issued to parents.
The three schools are the first among the city's top institutes to allow students across all classes to carry mobile phones during school hours.
The notice is apparently in response to requests from parents that mobile phone restrictions be relaxed to enable them to communicate with their wards once they leave school, especially when they need to go for private tuition directly from the campus.
Although it hasn't been mentioned in the notice, students of the Ashok Hall Group of Schools have been told that their mobiles would be confiscated if they are caught using them during school hours.
"We hope our students will understand and realise the trust the school is placing on them and on no account will take advantage of its goodwill," the notice states.
There has been an ongoing debate in the UK about children's access to mobile phones in schools where more than 90 per cent of teenagers own them.
A 2015 report by The Guardian mentions that in a survey conducted in 2001, no school in the UK banned mobiles. By 2007, this had risen to 50 per cent, and by 2012 some 98 per cent of schools either did not allow phones on the school premises or required them to be handed in at the beginning of the day.
The story is slightly different in Singapore, where the possession of mobile phones by students is widely acknowledged by most schools.
Students in Calcutta usually go for tuition or to practice a sport after school gives over and return home late in the evening. Most parents prefer that their wards carry mobile phones so that they can be in touch.
Schools have been wary of relaxing the rule for various reasons. Around four years ago, when South Point did not have a strict no-mobile phone policy, there were instances of students taking pictures of their teachers and putting these on social media.
Modern High School for Girls allows students in classes XI and XII to carry mobile phones to school, but not use them on the school premises. Many other institutes like St. James' School, The Heritage School, South City International School and Mahadevi Birla World Academy confiscate mobile phones or impose a fine on any student found carrying one.
At Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Class XII students are allowed to carry mobile phones, but they have to deposit these on entering school. If caught in the classroom with a mobile phone, a student is suspended.
St. James' School allows senior students to carry phones if their parents formally make a request, but these have to be deposited in the school office.
South Point has been toying with the idea of allowing mobiles "because in this age it is naive to think that students do not use smartphones", trustee Krishna Damani said.
Additional reporting by Archis Chowdhury
0 Response to "Mobile admitted to school with call bar"
Post a Comment
Disclaimer Note:
The views expressed in the articles published here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or perspective of Kalimpong News or KalimNews. Kalimpong News and KalimNews disclaim all liability for the published or posted articles, news, and information and assume no responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the content.
Kalimpong News is a non-profit online news platform managed by KalimNews and operated under the Kalimpong Press Club.
Comment Policy:
We encourage respectful and constructive discussions. Please ensure decency while commenting and register with your email ID to participate.
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.