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The mobile phone culture has crept deeply in our country off late. No doubt, it is one of the most essential tool in today’s scenario and comes handy at many times. But when the misuses outpars the uses, those things prove to be a menace.
Cellphones have become food for the youngsters. About 80% profiles on social networking site, Orkut, have youngsters mentioning mobiles in “five things I can’t live without” category. And majority are the people in the teens.
I agree and resonate my voice with their opinion about its necessity. But when it comes to the question of schools, I don’t find any reason for children to carry it with them. It is proving to be a threat on the primary education provided in Indian schools as there are a lot of cases where students disturb the decorum of the classes. Taking avoidable calls between classes, hearing music when the lecture is on, playing games beneath their desks, sending SMSes, clicking obscene photographs and, above all, the various MMS cases.
But a parliamentary panel yesterday recommended a ban on carrying of mobile phones by students to schools and by teachers to classrooms. Finally, the sense seemed to prevail and this step is taken. One would argue that awareness comes from within, and from one’s family, so there is no point forcing such decisions. But when the situation has gone out of control, with parents themselves insisting their wards to carry the instrument, something needed to be done. I don’t say do not give cellphones to the children, but atleast it should not be brought to the classrooms. It also discriminates between the students on the financial status basis, which could prove to be harmful for a child’s psychology in the long run.
The Government has ordered proper functioning and usage of landlines in the school campuses, so that the emergency situations can be faced efficiently. I further insist there should be no charges for the calls made to parents from the landlines. Once this menace is outcasted from the school culture and environment, the education system might return back on the road of seriousness.
RSS 
My wife works at an elementary school, the phones have been strictly prohibited..Their are parents who want a way to contact their children (after school), no problem..The kids and teachers have to turn in their cellphones to the school office before entering class..After school, on the way out, they pick them up.
If parents have an emergency during school hours, they call the school, not their kid, and vice versa.
If a student is caught with a cellphone which was not turned into the office, it is confiscated until the parents make an appointment with the director and retrieve it in person.
Many parents are adamant about having their children of all ages to take phones with them in case of an emergency. But educators have found the mobile devices are often used for sneaky or social reasons, not just to communicate with Mom and Dad in a pinch.
The potential for cheating, for instance, has increased with phones’ text messaging and picture-taking capabilities.
Schools worry not only about cheating, but also about photos taken in locker rooms and bathrooms, disruptive classroom calls and other bad behavior. Most confiscate the devices for the day, though if there are repeat problems parent-teacher conferences are set up.
I would state the onus rests with the parents to keep a check on the way their children use their cell phones.
Last but not the least, how many of these mobile weilding kids and teens use the same to talk to mom and dad??? and that too how many times !!!!
Wish they'd make this policy in all schools!