Andhra Pradesh bans mobile phones in schools

The Andhra Pradesh government has banned the use of mobile phones in schools across the state.

The school education department has issued orders prohibiting students from bringing mobile phones to schools.

The department had also earlier banned the use of mobile phones by teachers in classrooms. Teachers have been directed to deposit their cell phones with the principal before going to classrooms.

The department said the ban has been imposed to ensure that there is no disruption in teaching.

Officials said that the action has been taken in accordance with the Global Education Monitoring Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The UN body recently endorsed banning smartphones from schools and noted that globally, one in four countries has imposed such bans either as law or as a policy out of concern for data privacy, safety and children’s well-being.

The UNESCO warned against an uncritical rush toward embracing of digital products in educational settings, noting that “there is little robust evidence on digital technology’s added value in education” and that “a lot of the evidence comes from those trying to sell it”.

The Andhra Pradesh school education department had already asked the teachers to stop using mobile phones in classrooms, but the orders were not being followed strictly.

The ban on using mobile phones by teachers in classrooms is part of the guidelines of the education department. With teachers using mobile phone during class, students are forced to study and understand lessons on their own, officials claim.