New Delhi: The Delhi High Court recently said a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani was hearing a plea in which a minor student was visited with certain consequences for allegedly misusing a smartphone while in school. The plea was filed by a child studying in a Kendriya Vidyalaya school.
Justice Bhambhani noted that though certain guidelines have been issued by the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) back in the year 2009 and these guidelines have evidently not borne the desired result.
Justice Bhambhani further noted that even the more recent advisory issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) in 2023 only lays-down very broad instructions to prevent the misuse of smartphones in schools.
A complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school undesirable, unworkable approach: High Court
“Importantly, the aforementioned guidelines proceed on the fundamental premise that use of smartphones in school should be banned. This court would observe that much has changed in the past years as regards the use of technology, including for educational and other related purposes. In the opinion of this court therefore, a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach,” Justice Bhambhani said.
“Without detracting from the deleterious and harmful effects that arise from the indiscriminate use and misuse of smartphones in school, this court is of the view that smartphones also serve several salutary purposes, including as devices that help with co-ordination between parents and the children, which adds to the safety and security of students attending school,” Justice Bhambhani added.
Proper course of action would be to articulate certain guiding principles: High Court
Justice Bhambhani further said the proper course of action would be to articulate certain guiding principles, which would serve to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones in the hands of students while attending school.
“To balance these two considerations therefore, in the opinion of this court, the proper course of action would be for this court to articulate certain guiding principles, which the concerned regulatory bodies, education boards and other stakeholders may follow, adapt and/or refine as may be best suited to their respective needs, and as may be feasible with available resources, in relation to the use of smartphones in schools,” Justice Bhambhani said.
What guidelines the High Court issued?
The High Court issued following guiding principles on regulated use of smartphones by students in schools –
1. 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.
2. Where it is possible to make arrangements for safekeeping of smartphones, students should be required to deposit their smartphones when they enter school and take them back when returning home.
3. 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.
4. Schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital manners, and the ethical use of smartphones. Students must be counseled that high levels of screen-time and social media engagement can lead to anxiety, diminished attention spans and cyber-bullying.
5. The policy should permit use of smartphones for connectivity for purposes of safety and co-ordination but disallow the use of smartphones for entertainment/recreational use.
6. 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 that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties involved.
7. Schools should have the discretion to implement policies that fit their unique situations, whether that involves allowing limited use of smartphones in specified areas of the school or enforcing stricter bans, including bans during specific times and events.
8. 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. Possible consequences could include confiscation of smartphones for a certain time-period; or barring a student from carrying a smartphone for specified number of days, as a measure of disciplining an errant student.
9. Given the fast-paced advancement of technology, the policy should be regularly reviewed and revised to tackle emerging challenges.
