Teachers and students differ on the use of cellphones on campus

A 23-member committee has brought out a report which recommendeds a ban as a step to curb rape and other such incidents

Teachers and students differ on the recent recommendation by the Legislature Committee on Women and Child Welfare headed by Puttur MLA T. Shakuntala Shetty that bringing mobile phones to schools and colleges should be banned.

If teachers favoured the ban students opposed it.

The committee had recommended for it as a step to curb incidents like rape. The report of the 23-member committee was tabled in both the Houses of Legislature last Friday.

Welcoming the recommendation Norbert Lobo, president, Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) told The Hindu that use of mobile phones came in the way of listening to lectures in class rooms.

Disturbance

It disturbed the concentration of not only the student using it but others nearby. Teenage is such that students tend to use smart phones for other purposes not relating to their studies. If students wanted to speak to their parents urgently they could use landline or nearest public phones.

Mr. Lobo said that use of mobile phones in work places of teachers too could be banned.

Endorsing these views Y. Bhasker Shetty, honorary president, Federation of Degree College Principals’ Associations in Karnataka said that Mangalore University about two years ago had already sent a circular to colleges to ban use of mobile phones in colleges. He said that there was no need for students to use it in the classes or campuses.

Permission

Vinay Bidre, national secretary, Akhila Bharatiya Vidayarthi Parishad (ABVP) said that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones. They could be asked to switch them off in class rooms and inside campuses. Mr. Bidre said that parents should be educated on not to give their children high-end mobile phones.

Basic models

They could give children basic sets required for communication.

He said that it would be practically not possible to impose a total ban on mobile phones in education institutes.

K. Mahammad Iqbal, president, Campus Front of India, said that he opposed the total ban. Students should be allowed to bring them to the campuses.

The government could ban using them in class rooms and not outside the classrooms including in the campuses.